Out of the groove

摘要

Cellular phones, computer games, electronic diaries and notebook computers are common products nowadays, and they all rely on liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). In turn, high-quality displays depend on precise orientation control of their liquid-crystal materials. How is this done? A popular simplified explanation is that grooves in the supporting substrates dictate liquid-crystal alignment. This does not actually happen in commercial displays; but Bryan-Brown and co-workers (on page 365 of this issue) remove the discrepancy between the simple picture and the reality. They have made an LCD with lithographic grooves and a new way of electrically manipulating liquid-crystal orientation. Without increasing production costs by much, this could improve the optical performance of LCDs to the point at which they could be used in desktop monitors and televisions.