LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENT AND ITS PRODUCTION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain high-speed responsiveness by providing a liquid crystal element which is the assemblage of unit liquid crystal cells and of which the unit liquid crystal cells have the symmetry shown in a specific table. SOLUTION: The liquid crystal element is the assemblage of the unit liquid crystal cells and these unit liquid crystal cells have the symmetry shown in the table. The unit crystal cells eventually have spontaneous polarization. If the unit liquid crystal cells are deformed by suitable means and are formed to the specific shapes, the bipolar moments of the respective molecules are aligned and the spontaneous polarization is exhibited in the unit crystal cells. Such interaction of the polarization and the orientation deformation is known as a flexoelectric effect. If the unit liquid crystal cells are provided with the symmetry shown in the table, the spontaneous polarization is stably exhibited in the unit liquid crystal cells and the high-speed response of the liquid crystal element is made possible. The preferable shapes of the liquid crystal cells having such symmetry include, for example, an approximate wedge shape (a) 11 or banana shape (b) 12.