Polymer-doped vertically-aligned nematic liquid crystals

A nematic liquid crystal composition, comprising:

• a negative delta epsilon liquid crystal host;
• and between 0.01 and 5 wt % of a liquid crystal polymer wherein the liquid crystal polymer has the structure (FX1):
• wherein PX is a polymer backbone selected from
• [—(CH2—CH—S)n—], [—(NH—CH—C(═O))n—], [—(—C(═O)—N—C(═O))n—], [—(Si(CH2)—O)n—], [—(CH2—CH(C(O)═O))n—], [—(CH2—C(CH3)(C(O)═O))n—], [—(CH2CH)n—], [—(CH(CH2CH2))n—] and [—(CH2—CH(CH2CH2))n—] where, in each PX, n is independently an integer between 30 to 10000;
• W is a straight-chain or branched hydrocarbon group spacer having between 1 to 40 carbon atoms, wherein one or more adjacent or nonadjacent —CH2— groups in the hydrocarbon group can be independently replaced with —S—, —S(═O)—, —O—, —C(═O)—, —O—C(═O)—, —(Si—R40R41)—, —[OSiR40R41]d—, —[Si(R40R41)O]d—, —[Si(R40R41)—(OSiR40R41)d]—, —OSiR40R41O—, —CF2—, and —GeR40R41-, where R40 and R41 are each independently a hydrogen or a C1-C5 straight chain or branched alkyl group wherein any hydrogen may be replaced with fluorine, and wherein d is independently an integer from 1 to 6;
• M is a mesogen.