Polymer Stabilized Paraboloid Liquid Crystal Microlenses Array With Integrated Pancharatnam-Berry Phase
AssigneeKent State University
InventorsAntal Jákli, W.S. Kelum Perera
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses. The microlenses can be made from a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator. The microlenses can be prepared by spin coating a liquid crystal mixture onto an array including a nickel transmission electron microscope grid. The focal length of the microlens array can be tuned electrically.
Claims18
A composition for making a polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens, the composition comprising a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator.
A method of preparing polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses, the method comprising steps of
- providing a liquid crystal mixture including a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator;
- applying the liquid crystal mixture to a grid;
- spin coating the grid having the liquid crystal mixture to thereby form a spin coated assembly;
- and
- allowing polymerization of the reactive monomer of the spin coated assembly to thereby prepare the polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses.
An array comprising
- a glass substrate having a top surface;
- a coating on the top surface of the glass substrate;
- and
- a plurality of polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses positioned within a grid on the coating, the microlenses including a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a polymer made from a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator or a residue thereof, the polymer including domains which include the nematic liquid crystal and the chiral dopant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.