Liquid Crystal Display

A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a sandwich with liquid crystal molecules aligned between two transparent electrodes and two polarizing filters. This liquid crystal sandwich is used to modulate light from a light source and create an image; liquid crystals do not emit light directly. LCDs are used in consumer and scientific products, including computer monitors, televisions, video players, gaming devices, clocks, watches, calculators, cock-pit displays and telephones.

The operation of the LCD depends on polarization properties being used to modulate the light and evaluating those properties is critical to producing a quality display. This includes both the components that make up the LCD – like the glass enclosing it – as well as the display as a whole.

Hinds Instruments has tools for quality control in the manufacture of the LCD and its components. The optical stress birefringence resulting from the glass manufacturing process can be evaluated using the Hinds Exicor® GEN Series. Hinds Stokes polarimeters are unsurpassed in accurately determining the polarization properties of the light emerging from the LCD. Hinds also offers Mueller polarimeters that can define the full Mueller matrix and all polarization parameters of the liquid crystal sandwich itself.

Left: Exicor® GEN system with auto tilt; Right: Stokes Polarimeter

SUGGESTED PRODUCTS:

PEMs
Exicor® Birefringence Measurement Systems Gen Series
Stokes Polarimeters
Mueller Polarimeters