Method and system for patterning a liquid crystal layer

A method of forming a patterned liquid crystal layer, the method comprising:

• providing an optical master comprising:
• an alignment layer including surface relief features, and
• a liquid crystal layer on the surface relief features, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer define a liquid crystal pattern;
• providing a photo-alignment layer disposed on a substrate;
• and
• replicating the liquid crystal pattern in the photo-alignment layer by propagating light through the optical master to the photo-alignment layer, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a thickness of about d, wherein d=λ/(2Δn), where λ is the wavelength of light propagated through the optical master to the photo-alignment layer, and where Δn is the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer, wherein the liquid crystal layer has an optical phase and a grating period, and wherein after replicating the liquid crystal pattern, the photo-alignment layer has an optical phase of about double the optical phase of the liquid crystal layer and a grating period of about half the grating period of the liquid crystal layer.