Fluorescent liquid crystal display

Liquid crystal composition adapted to produce high contrast ratio electrically induced light displays, comprising a liquid crystal mixture including a neumatic liquid crystal solvent and a cholesteric or chiral nematogenic compound, which mixture is stable when exposed to ultraviolet radiation and which is adapted to undergo a reversible electrically induced phase transition from a normal cholesteric phase, in which incident ultraviolet radiation is scattered, to an electrically induced nematic phase, in which incident ultraviolet radiation scattering is substantially reduced as compared to the cholesteric phase scattering, said composition further including a sufficient amount of a fluorescent compound, which is soluble in said mixture, which is excited by ultraviolet light scattered strongly in the cholesteric phase of the mixture but not in the electrically induced nematic state, and which significantly enhances the contrast ratio of the liquid crystal composition upon electrically induced phase transition, as viewed in the dark or under low ambient light conditions.