Liquid crystal device with a liquid crystal in an optical modulation region having a pretilt angle smaller than the liquid crystal in a peripheral region surrounding the optical modulation region

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of oppositely disposed substrates having opposing inner surfaces and opposing electrodes thereon and a, chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the opposing electrodes. The liquid crystal device has an effective optical modulation region and a peripheral region outside the effective optical modulation region. In the device, liquid crystal molecules in the peripheral region have a pretilt angle which is larger than a pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules in the effective optical modulation region. As a result a local pressure irregularity or a cell thickness change caused by a liquid crystal molecular movement along an extension of …