| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a new optical switching technique at a low cost which can be applied for an optical shutter or a display device and which is easily operated. SOLUTION: A composite film consisting of a polymer phase 3 having a three- dimensional mesh structure and a liquid crystal which forms a continuous phase in the polymer phase is prepared. The composite film has a phase separation structure in which the polymer phase 3 and the liquid crystal phase 4 are aligned almost parallel to the direction of the electric field, and a polymer thin layer is formed on the surface. By using an optical element produced by holding the aforementioned composite film as a light-controlling layer 11 between electrode substrates 1, optical switching with the following processes is possible. In the optical switching operation, a light-scattering state with no electric field applied can be changed into a light-transmitting state by applying a pulsed electric field between electrode layers, the light-transmitting state is recorded in a memory by opening electrode layers without forming a short circuit between the electrode layers, and then if necessary, the state is changed into a light scattering state by forming a short circuit between electrode layers. Since no electric field is required to maintain the light-transmitting state, the power consumption is extremely reduced.
|
