High contrast liquid crystal display

An electronic display comprising:

• a pixel comprising:
• a lower polarizing layer configured to polarize light on a first polarizing axis;
• a lower liquid crystal alignment layer disposed above the lower polarizing layer and configured to generally align liquid crystal molecules along a first liquid crystal molecular alignment axis in the absence of an electric field;
• a liquid crystal layer disposed above the lower liquid crystal alignment layer that includes the liquid crystal molecules;
• an upper liquid crystal alignment layer disposed above the liquid crystal layer and configured to generally align liquid crystal molecules along a second liquid crystal molecular alignment axis in the absence of an electric field, wherein the second liquid crystal molecular alignment axis is equal to or 180 degrees different from the first liquid crystal molecular alignment axis;
• and
• an upper polarizing layer disposed above the upper liquid crystal alignment layer and configured to polarize light on a second polarizing axis;
• wherein at least one of the first polarizing axis and the second polarizing axis is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the first liquid crystal molecular alignment axis or the second liquid crystal molecular alignment axis.

A liquid crystal display comprising:

• a pixel comprising:
• a first liquid crystal alignment layer having a first liquid crystal molecular alignment axis;
• a second liquid crystal alignment layer having a second liquid crystal molecular alignment axis, wherein the second liquid crystal molecular alignment axis is offset from the first liquid crystal molecular alignment axis by an offset angle other than a multiple of 180 degrees;
• and
• a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first liquid crystal alignment layer and the second liquid crystal alignment layer;
• wherein the first liquid crystal alignment layer or the second liquid crystal alignment layer, or a combination thereof, are at least partially non-planar.