Optically switching ferroelectric liquid crystal light valve

A liquid crystal device of multi-layer structure with front and rear faces, having two optically different stable states and switchable therebetween by a bias voltage, the device comprising:

• a liquid crystal layer composed of ferroelectric liquid crystal composition;
• a pair of front and rear alignment layers sandwiching therebetween the liquid crystal layer to establish the two optically different stable states in the liquid crystal layer, each alignment layer comprising an obliquely evaporated silicon monoxide film evaporated at an evaporation angle between 75 to 85 degrees and having a tilted micro column structure effective to establish the bistable state in the liquid crystal layer;
• a front electrode layer adjacent to the front alignment layer;
• an optically reflecting layer adjacent to the rear alignment layer;
• a photoconductive layer comprising a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film disposed on the optically reflecting layer and responsive to the incident light incident from the rear face to increase its electroconductivity;
• a rear electrode layer disposed on the photoconductive layer and cooperative with the front electrode layer to apply the bias voltage between the multi-layer structure including the liquid crystal layer and the photo-conductive layer such that an effective bias voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer through the increased electroconductivity portion of the photoconductive layer to thereby effect the switching between the two stable states;
• and
• a pair of front and rear transparent substrates for sandwiching therebetween the multi-layer structure.