Liquid crystal device

A liquid crystal device comprising first and second opposed spaced-apart cell walls enclosing a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrodes on at least one cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, at least a part of the inner surface of the first cell wall including a first surface layer formed from a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, and at least a part of the inner surface of the second cell wall including a second surface layer formed from a polymerlsed aligned mesogenic material, which surface layers are in contact with the liquid crystal material at first and second interfaces respectively;

• the anchoring energy at the first interface differing from the anchoring energy at the second interface;
• the alignment of the mesogenic material being homeotropic resulting from self-alignment at a gas boundary during polymerisation.

A liquid crystal device comprising first and second opposed spaced-apart cell walls enclosing a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrodes on at least one cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, at least a part of the inner surface of the first cell wall including a first surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, the first surface layer having an order parameter, and at least a part of the inner surface of the second cell wall including a second surface layer including a polymerized aligned mesogenic material, the second surface layer having an order parameter different form the order parameter of the first surface layer, which surface layers are in contact with the liquid crystal material at first and second interfaces respectively;

• the anchoring energy at the first interface differing from the anchoring energy at the second interface, wherein control of the anchorinq energy at each of the interfaces between the liquid crystal material and the surface layers by control of the order parameter is independent of tilt direction and angle of the liquid crystal material.

A liquid crystal device comprising first and second opposed spaced-apart cell walls enclosing a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrodes on at least one cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, at least a part of the inner surface of the first cell wall including a first surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, and at least a part of the inner surface of the second cell wall including a second surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, which surface layers are in contact with the liquid crystal material at first and second interfaces respectively;

• the anchoring energy at the first interface differing from the anchoring energy at the second interface;
• the alignment of the mesogenic material being homeotropic.

A liquid crystal device comprising first and second opposed spaced-apart cell walls enclosing a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrodes on at least one cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, at least a part of the inner surface of the first cell wall including a first surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, the first surface layer having an order parameter, and at least a part of the inner surface of the second cell wall including a second surface layer including a polymerized aligned mesogenic material, the second surface layer having an order parameter different form the order parameter of the first surface layer, which surface layers are in contact with the liquid crystal material at first and second interfaces respectively;

• the polymerized mesogenic materials of the first and second cell walls causing the anchoring energy at the first interface to differ from the anchoring energy at the second interface, wherein control of the anchoring energy at each of the interfaces between the liquid crystal material and the surface layers by control of the order parameter is independent of tilt direction and angle of the liquid crystal material.

A liquid crystal device comprising first and second opposed spaced-apart cell walls enclosing a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrodes on at least one cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, at least a part of the inner surface of the first cell wall including a first surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, the first surface layer having an order parameter, and at least a part of the inner surface of the second cell wall including a second surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, the second surface layer having an order parameter different form the order parameter of the first surface layer, which surface layers are in contact with the liquid crystal material at first and second interfaces respectively;

• the polymerised mesogenic materials of the first and second cell walls causing the anchoring energy at the first interface to differ from the anchoring energy at the second interface, wherein the polymerised mesogenic materials of the first and second cell walls have differing properties, and wherein control of the anchoring energy at each of the interfaces between the liquid crystal material and the surface layers by control of the order parameter is independent of tilt direction and angle of the liquid crystal material.

A liquid crystal device comprising first and second opposed spaced-apart cell walls enclosing a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrodes on at least one cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, at least a part of the in ner surface of the first cell wall including a first surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, and at least a part of the inner surface of the second cell wall including a second surface layer including a polymerised aligned mesogenic material, which surface layers are in contact with the liquid crystal material at first and second interfaces respectively;

• the polymerized mesogenic materials of the first and second cell walls causing the anchoring energy at the first interface to differ from the anchoring energy at the second interface wherein the polymerized mesogenic materials of the first and second cell walls have differing properties;
• the alignment of the mesogenic material being homeotropic.