Reflective optically active diffractive device

A method of making a liquid crystalline diffractive device comprising:

• a) providing first and second substrates to define cell walls, and including means for addressing a liquid crystal material;
• b) treating said first substrate with a first alignment layer to provide at least first and second domains adapted to promote different orientations of a liquid crystal material in said domains;
• c) treating said second substrate with a second alignment layer adapted to promote an orientation of a liquid crystal adjacent said second substrate that is different than the orientation promoted by said first and second domains of said first substrate, and to cooperate with said first alignment layer and a liquid crystal disposed therebetween, to produce liquid crystal domains extending between said substrates;
• and,
• d) disposing a nematic liquid crystal material between said substrates to form liquid crystal domains extending between said substrates,
• whereby light incident on said first and second domains through one said substrate and in phase, is reflected by the other of said substrates and exits said first and second domains through one said substrate out of phase.

A method of making a liquid crystalline diffractive device comprising:

• a) providing first and second substrates to define cell walls, and including means for addressing a liquid crystal material;
• b) treating said first substrate with a first alignment layer to provide a plurality of domains in which a first said domain will promote an orientation of a liquid crystal material in said first domain orthogonally to a liquid crystal orientation promoted by said second domain;
• c) treating said second substrate with a second alignment layer adapted to cooperate with said first alignment layer and a liquid crystal disposed therebetween, to produce first and second twisted nematic liquid crystal domains having opposite twist sense extending between said substrates;
• and,
• d) disposing a nematic liquid crystal material between said substrates to form first and second liquid crystal domains extending between said substrates in which the projection of the directors on the substrate surface, of the liquid crystal in said first and second domains is substantially orthogonal,
• whereby light incident on said first and second domains through one said substrate and in phase, is reflected by the other of said substrates and exits said first and second domains through the one said substrate out of phase.

A method of making a liquid crystalline diffractive device comprising:

• a) providing first and second substrates to define cell walls, and including means for addressing a liquid crystal material;
• b) treating said first substrate with a first alignment layer to provide a plurality of domains in which a first said domain will promote a first pretilt orientation of said liquid crystal material and a second pretilt orientation of said liquid crystal material, different than said first pretilt orientation in said second domain;
• c) treating said second substrate with a second alignment layer adapted to cooperate with said first alignment layer and a liquid crystal disposed therebetween, to produce first and second twisted nematic liquid crystal domains having opposite twist sense extending between said substrates;
• and,
• d) disposing a nematic liquid crystal material between said substrates to form first and second liquid crystal domains extending between said substrates in which the projection of the directors on the substrate surface, of the liquid crystal in said first and second domains is substantially orthogonal,
• whereby light incident on said first and second domains through one said substrate and in phase, is reflected by the other of said substrates and exits said first and second domains through the one said substrate out of phase.

A method of making a liquid crystalline diffractive device comprising:

• a) providing first and second substrates to define cell walls, wherein one of said first and second substrates is transparent and including means for addressing a liquid crystal material;
• b) treating said first substrate with a first alignment layer to provide at least first and second domains adapted to promote different orientations of a liquid crystal material in said domains;
• c) treating said second substrate with a second alignment layer adapted to promote an orientation of a liquid crystal adjacent said second substrate that is different than the orientation promoted by said first and second domains of said first substrate, and to cooperate with said first alignment layer and a liquid crystal disposed therebetween, to produce liquid crystal domains extending between said substrates;
• and,
• d) disposing a nematic liquid crystal material between said substrates to form liquid crystal domains extending between said substrates,
• whereby light incident on said first and second domains through one of said substrates and in phase, exits said first and second domains through one of said substrates out of phase.