| 摘要 |
<p>PURPOSE:To obtain an optical modulating element having high responsiveness to an electric signal by sandwiching a liquid crystal layer which exhibits specific ferroelectricity between substrates having transparent electrodes and insulation layers for controlling orientation in such a way as to arrange the liquid crystal molecules in proximity to the substrate surfaces in parallel (approximately) with the substrate surfaces and disposing polarizers on the outside surfaces of the substrates. CONSTITUTION:A chiral smectic liquid crystal 11 wherein liquid crystal molecules 1 are arranged with inclination by an angle theta from a spiral axis 2, the molecules 1 are in the same direction in the same layer, and the spontaneous polarization Ps exhibits the ferroelectricity perpendicular to the plane formed by the long axis direction (n) of the molecules and the axis 2 and which is expressed by the formula is sandwiched between transparent substrates 51, 52 provided with transparent electrodes 61, 62 and orientation layers 71, 72 on the transparent layers 91, 92 on the respective electrodes and the layers 71, 72 are rubbed in the same direction so that the molecules 1 near the substrates 51, 52 are arrayed roughly in parallel with the substrate planes, whereby an optical modulating element disposed with polarizers 41, 42 on the outside surfaces of the substrates is manufactured. The element which can convert transmittance of polarized light to a max. and a min. when voltage is applied between the electrodes 41 and 42 to reverse the positive and negative directions of the voltage application and has the high speed responsiveness to the electric signal is obtained.</p> |
