REVERSE MODE POLYMER DISPERSED LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS

THE PROPOSED WORK CENTERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF REVERSE MODEPOLYMER DISPERSED LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS. THESE MATERIALS, WHICH WILL BE FABRICATED EITHER AS FILMS OR AS ENCAPSULATED DROPLETS, ARE RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICES, INCLUDING NORMAL MODE POLYMER DISPERSED SYSTEMS. THE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION OF REVERSE MODE MATERIALS IS THAT THEY REPRESENT AN OPTICALLY TRANSMISSIVE STATE IN THE ABSENCE OF APPLIED FIELDS AND ARE CONVERTED TO AN OPAQUE LIGHT SCATTERING STATE WHEN A FIELD IS APPLIED. THEIR FIELD-OFF/FIELD-ON BEHAVIOR IS EXACTLY OPPOSITE TO THAT NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS, THUS GIVING RISE TO THE REVERSE MODE DESIGNATION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS MAJOR AND UNIQUE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIESFOR THESE REVERSE MODE POLYMER DISPERSED LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS. A NUMBER OF THESE APPLICATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED IN THIS PROPOSAL. THEY INCLUDE ARCHITECTURAL USE AS "SMART WINDOWS" FOR ENERGY SAVINGS IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; PRIVACY WINDOWS IN AUTOMOBILES; AND AS A NEW APPROACH TO HEADS-UP DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY. THE UNIQUE FEATUREOF REVERSE MODE MATERIALS WITH RESPECT TO THESE APPLICATIONS, AS CONTRASTED WITH OTHER LIQUID CRYSTAL LIGHT SHUTTERS, CENTERS ON THE FAIL-SAFE ASPECT IN THAT THEY ARE TRANSPARENT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN APPLIED FIELD. THUS, UNSCHEDULED POWER OUTAGES WILL NOT CREATE HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS. THE ECONOMIC FACTORS IN COMMERCIALIZATION WOULDBE MOST FAVORABLE IN THAT THESE REVERSE MODE MATERIALS ARE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE. THE FOCUS OF THE PHASE I EXPERIMENTAL EFFORT IS TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF REVERSE MODE POLYMER DISPERSED LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS. IN PARTICULAR, SYSTEMATIC STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO OPTIMIZE THE PERCENTTRANSMISSION OF THESE MATERIALS IN THE TRANSPARENT FIELD-OFFSTATE. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED, ESPECIALLY THROUGH SLIGHT MODIFICATION OF THE SHAPES AND SIZES OF THE LIQUID CRYSTAL MICRODROPLETS, AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PROPOSAL.