Thin Film Polarizers: Properties and Technologies. Part 1

The manufacturing technology of many types of thin-film polarizers and options of their application assign such polarizers to the liquid crystals sciences. We present an analytical review of patent and scientific publications on the development of thin-film (no more than a few micrometers) linear and circular polarizers based on different physical principles (absorption dichroism, anisotropic luminescence, double refraction, reflection and scattering). The review is divided into two parts. The second part of the review describes structures and media, such as lyotropic and thermotropic liquid crystals, photoanisotropic materials, materials polarization-anisotropic light scattering or anisotropic fluorescence, and other media. Polarizers based on lyotropic liquid crystals, media with polarization-anisotropic optical properties, metallic grid structures, and media based on anisotropic luminescence are of greatest practical interest. To create patterned polarization structures with kinematic color and/or stereoscopic effects, lyotropic compositions in combination with photo-orientation are in highest demand, which is currently widely used for photo-orientation of thermotropic liquid crystals.