An electrooptic device (
2
), and the methods for manufacturing, including a liquid crystal material (
12
) disposed between electroded flat glass or polymer substrates (
4, 20
) which have been precoated with a e.g. a chiral smectic surface layer (
10, 14
) in such way that the surface layer is able to mediate switching of the liquid crystal (
12
) between different optical states. The chiral smectic surface layer can be a polymer, oligomer or monomer liquid crystal with paraelectric, ferroelectric, ferrielectric or antiferroelectric response, which is insoluble in the liquid crystal used for the bulk (
12
) between the electroded substrates (
4, 20
). the switchable surface director enforces a certain orientation of the optic axis in the bulk liquid crystal (
12
), which can be a conventional non-chiral or chiral nematic or smectic in a twisted or non-twisted configuration.
电光设备 (
2
)及其制造方法,包括一种液晶材料(
12
)放置在电镀平板
玻璃或聚合物基板(
4, 20
) 之间放置液晶材料 ( 12 ),该液晶材料 ( 12 ) 已预先涂覆了手性光滑表面层 (
10, 14
),使表面层能够介导液晶(
12
) 在不同光学状态之间切换。手性 Smectic 表面层可以是聚合物、低聚物或单体液晶,具有副电、
铁电、
铁锐电或反
铁电响应,不溶于用于主体的液晶 ( 12 ) 。
12
) 之间的电镀基底 (
4, 20
可切换的表面导向器会强制块状液晶的光轴朝向一定的方向 ( 12 ) 。
12
可以是传统的非手性或手性向列型液晶,也可以是扭曲或非扭曲结构的共晶。