Organic liquid-crystal devices based on ionic conductors

A fully organic liquid-crystal device is enabled by ionic conductors. The device uses a liquid crystal as a voltage-driven light shutter, an elastomer as a transparent dielectric, and a hydrogel as a transparent conductor. A voltage switches the device from an opaque state to a transparent state without electrolyzing the hydrogel. The device maintains its electrooptical performance under a biaxial stretch of 1.5.