What is the power source of smart glass/film?
Smart glass/film is operated using 48-65VAC power supply. Transformer will be needed for 110-230V power source.
How does PDLC smart glass work?
With no applied voltage, the liquid crystals are randomly oriented and scatter the light which enters. When an electrical signal is applied, the liquid crystals orient themselves parallel to each other, allowing light through.
What is smart glass/film?
Smart glass/film is a switchable light control glass that turns a transparent glass to opaque instantaneously and vice versa.
Why does PDLC glass scatter light?
The liquid crystals change their refractive index in relation to the isotropically transparent polymer in which they are immersed, thereby creating multiple step boundaries throughout the PDLC.
It is this change in refractive index at each boundary which causes light to change course. Since the PDLC material contains millions of liquid crystals, each with a boundary facing a slightly different way, the light is scattered in many directions.
The net effect is to hide whatever is behind the PDLC smart glass.
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.