Image stabilization and shifting in a liquid crystal lens

A tunable lens optical device for controlling the propagation of light passing through the device using a dynamically-configured effective electrode geometry, said optical device comprising:

• a liquid crystal layer configured to pass through which said light therethrough, optical properties of the liquid crystal layer controlling said light propagation;
• an electrode system arranged to generate an electric field acting on said liquid crystal layer the electrode system including a segmented ring electrode;
• and
• an electrical signal generator for generating a drive signal at a plurality of different frequencies and applying the drive signal to the electrode system to generate said electric field, the electrical signal generator being further configured to apply a separate drive signal component of the drive signal to each electrode segment of the segmented ring electrode, each drive signal component having a corresponding frequency;
• wherein:
• said electrode system comprises a frequency dependent material with interacting with the electric field, the frequency dependent material having a charge mobility therein that varies with a frequency of the drive signal such that a spectral content of said drive signal dynamically configures an effective electrode geometry of said electrode system whereby a spatial profile of the electric field varies as a function of said spectral content to alter the optical properties of the liquid crystal layer;
• said signal generator is configured to apply a drive signal that prevents disclinations of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer;
• and
• said electrode system is configured to controllably move an optical axis of the lens created in said liquid crystal layer by said electric field, driving said segmented ring electrode providing a parametric lens.