Some factors influencing light scattering in PDLC films

Paul S. Drzaic

doi:10.1117/12.151213

13 August 1993 Some factors influencing light scattering in PDLC films

Paul S. Drzaic

Proceedings Volume 1911, Liquid Crystal Materials, Devices, and Applications II; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.151213
Event: IS&T/SPIE's Symposium on Electronic Imaging: Science and Technology, 1993, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

The light scattering properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films depend on several aspects of the film structure and nematic alignment. In this study we gauge the relative importance of some of these factors by varying the structure and properties of PDLC films in a systematic way, and measuring the variation in light scattering properties due to these changes. At high fields, the dependence of film scattering on the nematic refractive index follows the dependence predicted by the anomalous diffraction model for light scattering. In unpowered films, multiple scattering becomes important in films that consists of 3 - 4 layers of droplets or more. This effect is independent of the collection angle (f/#) of the detector, and is an important limitation when attempting to maximize the contrast ratio of PDLC projection devices that employ film scattering. I also show that the structure of the film several microns away from a droplet influences the scattering cross section of the droplet. This effect is illustrated by comparing the scattering of powered and unpowered films at different droplet densities.

Citation Download Citation

Paul S. Drzaic "Some factors influencing light scattering in PDLC films", Proc. SPIE 1911, Liquid Crystal Materials, Devices, and Applications II, (13 August 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.151213

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