Can smart glass/film be used as display screens?
Yes, smart glass/film is a rear projector screen with wide viewing angles. Even from the side one can enjoy clear, beautiful images and also in bright locations with high functional projectors.
How does smart glass/film works?
Smart glass works via electrical signal through activation of switches, sensors etc. Liquid crystal molecules turn to allow light to pass through and glass becomes transparent. It is opaque when not activated.
How to make smart glass?
How to make smart glass?
Does PDLC smart glass conduct electricity?
No, the internal PDLC layer is plastic and does not conduct electricity, since it is electrically insulated. Rather, it behaves more like a capacitor, where the applied signal alternates between positive and negative voltages at the plates of the capacitor, causing an alternating electric field throughout the PDLC dielectric, which is what aligns the liquid crystals with the frequency of the signal (normally 50 Hz or 60 Hz).
Why does PDLC require a polymer?
The polymer allows the liquid crystals to be embedded into a film, which can then be sandwiched between panels of glass or plastic. The polymer has constant optical properties which do not vary across its structure, and hence is considered isotropic.
In contrast, the liquid crystal itself is anisotropic, since its optical characteristics are not constant across its structure, but rather can vary under application of an electric field.