ANISOTROPIC GELS IN LIQUID-CRYSTAL DEVICES

Anisotropic gels are a novel type of material obtained by in situ polymerization of liquid crystal (LC) molecules in the presence of tow molecular weight conventional LC molecules without reactive groups. The resulting anisotropic network (see figure) possesses the structure of the original LC mixture. These gels offer new possibilities for the manufacture of LC devices, including both active and passive optical components.