A compensator (2) for liquid crystal display which is composed of:

a light transmitting base (1);

an alignment layer formed on said base; and

a film formed on said alignment layer by a liquid crystalline polymer which exhibits a twisted nematic orientation in the state of liquid crystal and which assumes the state of glass at a temperature below the liquid crystal transition point thereof.

A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal cell (6) formed of a twist nematic liquid crystal (9) positioned between two electrode substrates (7,8) and a pair of polarisers (1,10) which are located one on either side of the liquid crystal cell (6), characterised in that at least one layer (5) of an optically anisotropic substance is provided between the pair of polarisers (1,10) in addition to the twist nematic liquid crystal (9).

An object of the invention is to obtain achromatic display with high contrast and high lightness. A reflection type liquid crystal display device (1) of NB mode comprises a liquid crystal cell having an STN type liquid crystal layer (9); a first phase difference plate (4); a second phase difference plate (3); a polarizing plate (2), the first and second phase difference plates and polarizing plate being disposed on one surface of the liquid crystal cell in this order; and a reflecting layer (15) disposed in the liquid crystal cell, the reflecting layer forming the other surface of the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal layer (9) retardation ΔnLC·dLC, the first phase difference plate (4) retardation Δn1·d1 and the second phase difference plate (3) retardation Δn2·d2 are selected from the ranges of 660 nm to 830 nm, 120 nm to 240 nm and 300 nm to 430 nm, respectively. A twist angle χ is selected from the range of 220° to 260°. Predetermined angles θ, ϕ and ψ are selected from the ranges of -130° to -75°, -20° to -60° and -15° to -45°, respectively.

A reflection-type liquid crystal display device of single polarizing film type, comprises a liquid crystal element (20) comprised of twisted nematic liquid crystal (6) sandwiched between a first substrate (1) provided with a reflector (7) and first electrodes (3), and a second substrate (2) provided with second electrodes (4), and a twisted retardation film (12), a first retardation film (13), a second retardation film (14), a polarizing film (11) that are disposed in sequence on the outer side of the second substrate (2), so that black display having a low reflectance is obtained over the all-wavelength region, thereby effecting bright display in high contrast.

An object of the invention is to obtain achromatic display with high contrast and high lightness. A reflection type liquid crystal display device (1) of NB mode comprises a liquid crystal cell having an STN type liquid crystal layer (9); a first phase difference plate (4); a second phase difference plate (3); a polarizing plate (2), the first and second phase difference plates and polarizing plate being disposed on one surface of the liquid crystal cell in this order; and a reflecting layer (15) disposed in the liquid crystal cell, the reflecting layer forming the other surface of the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal layer (9) retardation ΔnLC·dLC, the first phase difference plate (4) retardation Δn1·d1 and the second phase difference plate (3) retardation Δn2·d2 are selected from the ranges of 660 nm to 830 nm, 120 nm to 240 nm and 300 nm to 430 nm, respectively. A twist angle χ is selected from the range of 220° to 260°. Predetermined angles θ, φ and ψ are selected from the ranges of -130° to -75°, -20° to -60° and -15° to -45°, respectively.

The invention pertains to a method of producing an optically functional film on a triphenylphosphate-containing cellulose triacetate substrate, comprising the steps of:

• (a) coating a liquid crystalline material onto cellulose triacetate by applying a solution of the liquid crystalline material in a casting solvent having the solution parameters d(T)>6, preferably >8.6 and 0≤d(Hb)<2.2, preferably 0≤(Hb)≤2.0;
• (b) removing the solvent; and
• (c) orienting the liquid crystalline material.

A liquid crystal display device is made by disposing an STN cell (16) in which nematic liquid crystal (6) having a twist angle in the range from 180° to 270° is filled and sandwiched between a first substrate (1) having a first electrode (3) and a second substrate (2) having a second electrode (4) at the center, providing a retardation film (13) and an absorption-type polarizing film (8) outside the second substrate (2) in order, and providing a reflection-type polarizing film (10) and a light absorbing film (11) outside the first substrate (1) in order. This enables a metallic silver background due to the reflected light by the reflection-type polarizing film (10) and display in black or in color by light passing through the reflection-type polarizing film (10) being absorbed in the light absorbing film (11) or only light of specific color being reflected.

A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal cell (6) formed of a twist nematic liquid crystal (9) positioned between two electrode substrates (7,8) and a pair of polarisers (1,10) which are located one on either side of the liquid crystal cell (6), characterised in that at least one layer (5) of an optically anisotropic substance is provided between the pair of polarisers (1,10) on each side of the twist nematic liquid crystal (9).

A phase type spatial light modulator (K1) comprising: a first polarizer (102); a coherent light source (1, 2) for irradiating the first polarizer (102); a liquid crystal cell (103) for receiving output light from the first polarizer (102), at an input side of which a direction (122) of alignment of liquid crystal molecules is parallel to a transmission axis (123) of the first polarizer (102); and a second polarizer (104) for receiving output light from the liquid crystal cell (103), which has a transmission axis (121) parallel to a direction (120) of alignment of liquid crystal molecules at an output side of the liquid crystal cell (103).

A compensator for liquid crystal display is produced by transferring a compensating layer formed by a liquid crystalline polymer on an orientating base onto a light transmitting base.

A compensator (2) for liquid crystal display which is composed of:

a light transmitting base (1);

an alignment layer formed on said base; and

a film formed on said alignment layer by a liquid crystalline polymer which exhibits a twisted nematic orientation in the state of liquid crystal and which assumes the state of glass at a temperature below the liquid crystal transition point thereof.