Cholesteric liquid crystal/polymer gel dispersion bistable at zero field

A novel liquid crystal/polymer gel dispersion is reported which exhibits two contrasting optical states which are stable at zero field; one state reflects light at a preselected color and the other state is scattering. In a display cell, the material can be selectively driven to either state by a suitable voltage pulse. A polymer gel can be used to stabilize the optical states of a cholesteric liquid crystal to create a bistable color display. This system has a high potential for multiplexed flat panel displays without the use of an active matrix substrate. Such a display can also be used for long-term information storage and optical signal processing.<>