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We propose methods to obtain multi-domains with different threshold voltages for vertically aligned liquid crystal displays without additional transistors or capacitors. We exposed an ultraviolet light through a photomask and spatially varied the surface anchoring energy by partially decomposing the polyimide or inducing the adsorption of reactive monomers. The threshold voltage was reduced with smaller surface anchoring, and the reduction of the threshold could be qualitatively interpreted using a model describing a weak anchoring condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lasing conditions in a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) have been studied in view of optical modes for the light propagating in ChLCs using a polymeric dye with the transition dipole moment parallel to the local director of the ChLC host. We found that lasing always occurs at the lower-energy edge of the photonic gap. This is because that the optical eigen mode at the lower-energy gap is linearly polarized parallel to the director, while it is perpendicular at the higher-energy gap. Because of this well-defined lasing condition, low-threshold lasing was successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]