A display device is provided for reflecting a black color, as enabled by an optical splitting photonic liquid crystal waveguide. Sets of top and bottom electrodes are formed in a periodic pattern. A first dielectric layer overlies the set of bottom electrodes, made from a liquid crystal (LC) material with molecules having dipoles responsive to an electric field. A plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the sets of top and bottom electrodes, and is in contact with the first dielectric layer. A voltage potential is applied between the top and bottom electrodes, generating an electric field. Dipole local orientation and non-orientation regions are created in the liquid crystal molecules in response to the electric field, and a wavelength of light outside the visible spectrum is reflected in response to optical spectrum splitting of the incident light.