A fast response, three-electrode liquid crystal device

A new, three-electrode, hybrid-aligned nematic (HAN) liquid crystal (LC) device for fast response applications is described. The three-electrode configuration generates electric field horizontally and vertically which alternately turn the LC cell on and off. The fast response is realized with both the turn-on and turn-off processes driven by an electric field. The transmission and response time of such a LC device as a function of the rubbing angle were studied. A total response time (rise time plus fall time) of less than 2 ms was obtained for a non-optimized HAN LC cell with a cell gap of 6 pm. Such a device is promising for video and other applications where fast response is required.