Liquid crystal display device, methods of producing and driving the liquid crystal display device, and liquid crystal composition

A liquid crystal display device, comprising a liquid crystal which is disposed between a couple of substrates bearing on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode structures, at least one of the substrates being transparent, the liquid crystal in each display element comprising at least two oriented liquid crystal phases, the liquid crystal phases including a most-quickly-responding liquid crystal phase comprising as a main component a ferroelectric liquid crystal material and responding to an electric field at the shortest response time A and a most-slowly-responding liquid crystal phase comprising as a main component a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer and responding to the same electric field at the longest response time B, the response time A being at most 1/50 times as long as the response time B, when all the liquid crystal phases have layer structures having layer normal lines, the layer normal lines being directed in one direction, when none of the liquid crystal phases have a layer structure, all the liquid crystal phases being aligned in one direction, when one or more of the liquid crystal phases have layer structures having layer normal lines and one or more of the liquid crystal phases have no layer structure, the layer normal lines of the former liquid crystal phases and the alignment of the latter liquid crystal phases being directed in one direction,

• the ferroelectric liquid crystal material comprising a compound (A) selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following general formula (I) ##STR50## wherein, s and t are each independently an integer of 2 to 5, a is an integer of 4 to 16, b is an integer of 0 to 3, c is an integer of 1 to 7 and * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom,
• and a compound represented by the following general formula (IIb) ##STR51## wherein, R.sup.1 is an alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, x is an integer of 1 to 5, y is an integer of 3 to 20 and R.sup.14 is an optically active alkyl group of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, or comprising the compound (A) and a compound (B) selected from the group consisting of a compound having smectic C phase and being represented by the following general formula (III) ##STR52## wherein, R.sup.5 is ##STR53## R.sup.6 is an optically inactive alkyl group of 4 to 20 carbon atoms, d is an integer of 0 to 10, e is an integer of 0 to 10, f is an integer of 1 to 10, g is an integer of 1 to 20, and Y is a single bond, --O--, --COO-- or --OCO--,
• and a compound having smectic C phase and being represented by the following general formula (IV), (V), (VI), or (VII) ##STR54## wherein, R.sup.7 is an optically inactive alkyl, alkoxyl, alkoxycarbonyl or acyloxy group of 6 to 15 carbon atoms, R.sup.8 is an optically inactive alkyl or alkoxy group of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 are each independently an optically inactive alkyl group or alkoxy group of 4 to 14 carbon atoms, R.sup.11 is an optically inactive alkyl group of 4 to 14 carbon atoms, R.sup.12 is an optically inactive alkyl or alkoxyl group of 4 to 14 carbon atoms, and R.sup.13 is an optically inactive alkyl or alkoxyl group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms,
• and the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (VIII) ##STR55## wherein, h is an integer of 8 to 10, i is 1 or 2, j is 1 or 2, and * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom.