Field sensitive optical displays with electrodes with high and low impedance portions

Display apparatus comprising first and second liquid crystal cells, each comprising spaced apart opposed first and second transparent plates and a twisted nematic liquid crystal material disposed between the plates, means for aligning the molecules of the liquid crystal material in the absence of a field to rotate the plane of polarization of plane polarized light passing through the material through a predetermined angle, first and second electrodes disposed adjacent to the first and second plates respectively of each of the first and second liquid crystal cells and in contact with the liquid crystal material, the first electrode of the first and second cells comprising a linearly-extending resistive portion disposed adjacent one side of the first plate, the resistance of the resistive portion being such that when a given voltage is applied across the resistive portion, a voltage gradient exists, and a plurality of substantially low impedance, conductive portions of uniform width electrically connected to and transversely extending from different locations of the resistive portion, the low impedance portions being separated by substantially uniform intervals, the second electrode of the first and second cells having substantially low impedance portions and extending adjacent to the surface of the second plate substantially coextensive with and opposite to the low impedance portions of the first electrode, and terminal means for applying voltages to the first and second electrodes, the conductivity of the low impedance portions of the first and second electrodes having a low impedance with respect to said high impedance portion, the first liquid crystal cell having the low impedance portions of its first electrode extending in one direction and the second liquid crystal cell having the low impedance portions of its first electrode extending in a direction different than the one direction of the low impedance portions of the first electrode of the first liquid crystal cell;

• and first and second light plane polarizer means for respectively transmitting plane polarized light in one plane and blocking plane polarized light in another plane intersecting the plane of the one plane, the liquid crystal cells being disposed between the polarizer means.