THIN FILM POLARIZERS: PROPERTIES, TECHNOLOGIES AND MAIN TYPES [ТОНКОПЛЕНОЧНЫЕ ПОЛЯРИЗАТОРЫ: СВОЙСТВА, ТЕХНОЛОГИИ, ОСНОВНЫЕ ТИПЫ]

According to manufacturing technology or application, many types of thin film polarizers belong to the liquid crystal science. This review summarizes patent, scientific and technological literature on the development of thin film (about few micrometers) linear and circular polarizers based on different physical effects (absorption dichroism, anisotropic luminescence, double refraction, reflection and scattering) and using a variety of constructional structures and environments. The review describes data on lyotropic and thermotropic liquid crystals, photoanisotropic materials, metal grid structures, etc. To create polarized patterned structures with kinematic color and/or stereoscopic properties, the lyotropic compositions are also very important. Such structures can be formed by a photoalignment method widely used for thermotropic liquid crystals. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.