New extended Jones matrix method for twisted nematic liquid crystal displays at oblique incidence

A generalized 2 X 2 Jones matrix representation for twisted nematic (TN) and supertwisted nematic (STN) liquid crystal displays (LCDs) at oblique incidence is obtained. It is based on a model of optical reflection and refraction from stacked birefringent plates. Extension of this 2 X 2 Jones matrix to some special cases is also discussed. This generalized Jones matrix can be used to obtain accurate information on the optical properties of TN and STN LCDs. Numerical comparisons of this new method with the exact Berreman 4 X 4 matrix and the extended Jones matrix of Lien are presented. Simulation results indicate that this new approach is more accurate than existing approximations to the full 4 X 4 calculation. The new generalized Jones matrix method is fast, direct, and simple. It is also physically more intuitive.