OPTICAL DEFLECTION DEVICE, OPTICAL DEFLECTION METHOD AND PICTURE DISPLAY DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress a transient scattering phenomenon generated with reversal motion of liquid crystal molecules. SOLUTION: An optical deflection device switches an outgoing optical path with respect to incident light by reversing an orientation direction of a ferroelectric liquid crystal molecule 5a forming a smectic phase by reversing an electric field direction generated in a direction almost perpendicularly intersecting a direction normal to a substrate surface and an optical deflection direction, so as to subject the molecule 5a to rotational movement within a conical virtual face in a smectic layer, and by switching a direction of inclination of an optic axis of the liquid crystal layer 5 with respect to a direction normal to the layer. Rotative directions of the liquid crystal molecules are aligned by controlling rotative directions of the respective liquid crystal molecules 5a in rotational movement to an identical direction in the case the orientation direction of at least a part of the liquid crystal molecules 5a in the liquid crystal layer 5 is reversed by the rotational movement within the conical virtual face in the smectic layer due to the reversal of the electric field direction. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO