Liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) consists of electronic display devices — TVs, computer monitors, smartphone screens, etc. — that feature liquid pixels. There are other display technologies on the market, but none are more popular than LCD. Research, in fact, shows that nearly 200 million LCD TVs will be sold worldwide by the end of 2020. While LCDs contain a variety of components, polarizers are one of their most critical components.
Overview of LCD Polarizers
An LCD polarizer is a filter that controls light waves. It’s designed to block light waves of a certain polarization while simultaneously allowing light waves of a different polarization.
LCDs contain a lighting system that’s responsible for illuminating their pixels. Some of them use light-emitting diode (LED), whereas others use electroluminescent (EL). Regardless, all LCDs have a lighting system. A polarizer is a layer of light-filtering material that’s placed between the backlighting and the LCD’s pixel layer.
How LCD Polarizers Work
Polarizers work by restricting the type of light that reaches the LCD’s pixel layer. The purpose of a polarizer is to create visible images. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to see the images produced by an LCD.
LCDs typically have two polarizers. Polarizers are typically made of a clear crystalline material. They are designed specifically to allow certain wavelengths of light while blocking others. The light produced by the LCD’s lighting system must pass through the polarizers before reaching the pixel layer.
Polarizers work on the principle of polarization. The pixels in an LCD must project a specific level of brightness to create a visible image. The problem is that most LCDs are comprised of millions of pixels. And to create an image, many of these pixels require varying levels of brightness. Some of the LCD’s pixels, for example, may need to be brighter than others. With polarizers, LCDs can control the brightness of their pixels, resulting in the production of high-quality and visible images.
In Conclusion
In LCDs, polarizers are used to produce visible images. A polarizer is a layer of light-filtering crystalline material. There are typically two polarizers in LCDs, both of which control the type of light that passes through them.
LCDs contain a lighting system, known as a backlight, that illuminates their pixels. Before reaching the pixels, though, light must pass through the polarizers. The polarizers are responsible for creating visible images by controlling the brightness of the LCD’s pixels.
