Multifunctional Liquid Crystal Smart Glass with Light Field Shaping, Dimming, and Scattering Control

Abstract

Glass with multiple light control functions has received considerable attention in recent years. This study demonstrates a multifunctional smart glass composed of hybrid‐aligned ion‐doped nematic liquid crystals (LCs). In the absence of an applied electric field, the hybrid aligned LC is transparent and can be used for light field shaping. The transmittance of the glass can be limited to less than 2% with a 1D oblique viewing angle of >50°. In addition, by varying the frequency and strength of the electric field applied to the device, tinted and scattering states can be achieved with polarization rotation and the electrohydrodynamic effect, respectively. The nonscattering tinted state can control transmittance in the range from 38% to 0.2%. The scattering state provides a 99% high‐haze performance. These results demonstrate that the proposed smart glass can be used for meeting the novel requirements of the next generation of green and smart buildings and vehicles.

Keywords

• dimming
• light field shaping
• liquid crystals
• privacy protections
• smart glasses
• smart houses