NOW UPDATED—THE HIGHLY PRACTICAL GUIDE TO ANALYZING LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS The subject of liquid crystal displays has vigorously evolved into an exciting interdisciplinary field of research and development, involving optics, materials, and electronics. Updated to reflect recent advances, the Second Edition of Optics of Liquid Crystal Displays now offers a broader, more comprehensive discussion on the fundamentals of display systems and teaches readers how to analyze and design new components and subsystems for LCDs. New features of this edition include: Discussion of the dynamics of molecular reorientation Expanded information of the method of Poincaré sphere in various optical components, including achromatic wave plates and compensators Neutral and negative Biaxial thin films for compensators Circular polarizers and anti-reflection coatings The introduction of wide field-of-view wave plates and filters Comprehensive coverage of VA-LCD and IPS-LCD Additional numerical examples This updated edition is intended as a textbook for students in electrical engineering and applied physics, as well as a reference book for engineers and scientists working in the area of research and development of display technologies.

An unprecedented look into the basic physics, chemistry, and technology behind the LCD Most notably used for computer screens, televisions, and mobile phones, LCDs (liquid crystal displays) are a pervasive and increasingly indispensable part of our lives. Providing both an historical and a business-minded context, this extensive resource describes the unique scientific and engineering techniques used to create these beautiful, clever, and eminently useful devices. In this book, the history of the science and technology behind the LCD is described in a prelude to the development of the device, presenting a rational development theme and pinpointing innovations. The book begins with Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, and the ultimately profound realization that light is an electromagnetic wave and an electromagnetic wave is light. The power of mathematical physics thus was brought to bear upon the study of light, and particularly the polarization of light by material bodies, including liquid crystals. After a brief historical description of polarization, a physical interpretation provides substance to the mathematical concepts. Subsequent chapters cover: Thermodynamics for liquid crystals The Maier-Saupe mean field, phenomenological, static continuum, and dynamic continuum theories The transistor and integrated circuit Glass, panels, and modules The calculus of variations The active matrix Semiconductor fabrication The global LCD business Additionally, the book illustrates how mathematics, physics, and chemistry are put to practical use in the LCDs we use every day. By describing the science from an historical perspective and in practical terms in the context of a device very familiar to readers, the book presents an engaging and unique view of the technology for everyone from science students to engineers, product designers, and indeed anyone curious about LCDs. Series Editor: Anthony C. Lowe, The Lambent Consultancy, Braishfield, UK The Society for Information Display (SID) is an international society, which has the aim of encouraging the development of all aspects of the field of information display. Complementary to the aims of the society, the Wiley-SID series is intended to explain the latest developments in information display technology at a professional level. The broad scope of the series addresses all facets of information displays from technical aspects through systems and prototypes to standards and ergonomics.

Liquid Crystal Devices are crucial and ubiquitous components of an ever-increasing number of technologies. They are used in everything from cellular phones, eBook readers, GPS devices, computer monitors and automotive displays to projectors and TVs, to name but a few. This second edition continues to serve as an introductory guide to the fundamental properties of liquid crystals and their technical application, while explicating the recent advancements within LCD technology. This edition includes important new chapters on blue-phase display technology, advancements in LCD research significantly contributed to by the authors themselves. This title is of particular interest to engineers and researchers involved in display technology and graduate students involved in display technology research. Key features: Updated throughout to reflect the latest technical state-of-the-art in LCD research and development, including new chapters and material on topics such as the properties of blue-phase liquid crystal displays and 3D liquid crystal displays; Explains the link between the fundamental scientific principles behind liquid crystal technology and their application to photonic devices and displays, providing a thorough understanding of the physics, optics, electro-optics and material aspects of Liquid Crystal Devices; Revised material reflecting developments in LCD technology, including updates on optical modelling methods, transmissive LCDs and tunable liquid crystal photonic devices; Chapters conclude with detailed homework problems to further cement an understanding of the topic.

Focusing on polarization matrix optics in many forms, this book includes coverage of a wide range of methods which have been applied to LCD modeling, ranging from the simple Jones matrix method to elaborate and high accuracy algorithms suitable for off-axis optics. Researchers and scientists are constantly striving for improved performance, faster response times, wide viewing angles, improved colour in liquid crystal display development, and with this comes the need to model LCD devices effectively. The authors have significant experience in dealing with the problems related to the practical application of liquid crystals, in particular their optical performance. Key features: Explores analytical solutions and approximations to important cases in the matrix treatment of different LC layer configurations, and the application of these results to improve the computational method Provides the analysis of accuracies of the different approaches discussed in the book Explains the development of the Eigenwave Jones matrix method which offers a path to improved accuracy compared to Jones matrix and extended Jones matrix formalisms, while achieving significant improvement in computational speed and versatility compared to full 4x4 matrix methods Includes a companion website hosting the authors' program library LMOPTICS (FORTRAN 90), a collection of routines for calculating the optical characteristics of stratified media, the use of which allows for the easy implementation of the methods described in this book. The website also contains a set of sample programs (source codes) using LMOPTICS, which exemplify the application of these methods in different situations

Polarized Light in Liquid Crystals and Polymers deals with the linear optics of birefringent materials, such as liquid crystals and polymers, and surveys light propagation in such media with special attention to applications. It is unique in treating light propagation in micro- and nanostructured birefringent optical elements, such as lenses and gratings composed of birefringent materials, as well as the spatial varying anisotropic structures often found in miniaturized liquid crystal devices.

Liquid crystals have attracted scientific attention for potential applications in advanced devices. Display technology is continuously growing and expanding and, as such, this book provides an overview of the most recent advances in liquid crystals and displays. Chapters cover such topics as nematic liquid crystals, active matrix organic light-emitting diodes, and tetradentate platinum(II) emitters, among others.

Devices based on liquid crystals have become the mainstay of display technology used in mobile devices, vehicles, computer systems, and almost any other opportunity for information display imaginable. The aim of this book is to provide the optics community a liquid crystals primer that focuses on the optical components made from these fascinating materials. The book provides a functional overview of liquid crystal devices, their history, and their applications so that readers are prepared for more advanced texts and can continue to grow their abilities in this field. While it is not meant to be a complete mathematical treatise on the basics and applications of liquid crystals, the book does fill in some of the technical gaps, in particular in the area of adaptive optics applications.

This book describes the state of the art of our understanding of liquid-crystal interfaces on a molecular level. The interactions of liquid crystal molecules with a surface play an essential role in the operation of liquid crystal displays (LCD's) and other LC devices that are based on the controllable anchoring of LC molecules on polymer coated surfaces. This book addresses the microscopic interaction between a macromolecule (liquid crystal, polymer) and a wall, using state of the art surface and interface-sensitive experimental techniques, such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Linear and Nonlinear Optical Microscopy and (Dynamic) Light Scattering (DLS). These experimental techniques were complemented with computer simulations and supra molecular chemistry methods to develop controllable polymeric surfaces.

Liquid Crystal Display Drivers deals with Liquid Crystal Displays from the electronic engineering point of view and is the first expressively focused on their driving circuits. After introducing the physical-chemical properties of the LC substances, their evolution and application to LCDs, the book converges to the examination and in-depth explanation of those reliable techniques, architectures, and design solutions amenable to efficiently design drivers for passive-matrix and active-matrix LCDs, both for small size and large size panels. Practical approaches regularly adopted for mass production but also emerging ones are discussed. The topics treated have in many cases general validity and found application also in alternative display technologies (OLEDs, Electrophoretic Displays, etc.).

The existence of liquid crystals has been known for nearly a centu ry; yet it is only in the last ten years that their unique optical, electri cal, electro-optic, and thermal properties have been exploited to any significant extent in such technological applications as digital d~ plays and thermography. Digital watches equipped with liquid-crys tal displays (LCD's) have recently made their debut in the electronic watch market, and the large-scale use of LCD's in a variety of other applications requiring reliable, low-power digital displays is immi nent. There is good reason to believe that liquid crystals will be the first electro-optic materials to find widespread commercial use. Apart from applications, liquid crystals are unique among the phases of matter. Lurking beneath their garish display of color and texture is a great complexity of physical and chemical interaction that is only now beginning to unfold in the face of a decade-old resurgence in all aspects of liquid~rystal research. RCA Laboratories has participated in this resurgence from its beginning in the early 1960's and at present maintains active liquid-crystal programs both in basic re search and in device engineering. In view of the widespread interest in liquid crystals at RCA Labo ratories, an in-house weekly seminar devoted to the subject of liquid crystals was organized in the fall of 1973. The resulting lectures were subsequently published in three issues of the RCA Review and, with the incorporation of much additional material, eventually grew into the present volume.