Liquid crystal adaptive lens with closed-loop electrodes and related fabrication methods and control methods
AssigneeUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
InventorsYi Sun, Stephen T. Kowel, Gregory P. Nordin
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Abstract
A liquid crystal adaptive lens (LCAL) includes a reference plate, a liquid crystal layer disposed in electrical communication with the reference plate, and a plurality of closed-loop electrodes disposed in electrical communication with the liquid crystal layer. The closed-loop electrodes are adapted to receive a variable control voltage such that the refractive index of at least a portion of the liquid crystal layer is adjustable such that light passing through the liquid crystal layer is capable of being redirected. By including closed-loop electrodes, the liquid crystal layer of the LCAL is capable of having a radially varying refractive index.
Claims21
A liquid crystal adaptive lens (LCAL) comprising:
- a reference plate;
- a liquid crystal layer disposed in electrical communication with said reference plate;
- a plurality of closed-loop electrodes disposed in electrical communication with said liquid crystal layer, said plurality of closed-loop electrodes adapted to receive a variable control voltage such that a refractive index of at least a portion of said liquid crystal layer is adjustable such that light passing through said liquid crystal layer is capable of being redirected;
- at least one pair of conductors in electrical contact with at least two closed-loop electrodes;
- and
- at least one connector electrically connecting at least two closed-loop electrodes and each conductor of a respective pair of conductors, wherein said at least one pair of conductors and said at least one connector are capable of providing the variable control voltage to said plurality of closed-loop electrodes.
A method of fabricating a liquid crystal adaptive lens comprising:
- forming at least one pair of conductors upon a substrate;
- depositing an insulating layer upon the at least one pair of conductors and the substrate;
- creating a plurality of closed-loop electrodes on the insulating layer such that at least one closed-loop electrode is in electrical contact each conductor of the at least one pair of conductors, wherein creating the plurality of closed-loop electrodes further comprises forming al least one connector between at least two closed-loop electrodes;
- depositing a layer of liquid crystal upon the plurality of closed-loop electrodes;
- and
- depositing a reference plate upon the layer of liquid crystal.
A liquid crystal adaptive lens (LCAL) system comprising:
- an LCAL including a reference plate, a liquid crystal layer disposed in electrical communication with the reference plate, a plurality of close-loop electrode disposed in electrical communication with the liquid crystal layer, and at least one pair of conductors connected by at least one connector and in electrical contact with at least two closed-loop electrodes, wherein the plurality of closed-loop electrodes are adapted to receive, via the at least one connector, a variable control voltage such that a refractive index of at least a portion of said liquid crystal layer is adjustable such that light passing through the liquid crystal layer is capable of being redirected;
- and
- an auto-focusing subsystem capable of applying the variable control voltage to the conductors of said LCAL, wherein the auto-focusing subsystem is capable of adjusting the variable control voltage to said LCAL to thereby adjust a refractive index of at least a portion of the liquid crystal layer of said LCAL such that light passing through the liquid crystal layer is capable of being redirected.
A method of focusing a liquid crystal adaptive lens (LCAL) comprising:
- providing an LCAL including a reference plate, a liquid crystal layer disposed in electrical communication with the reference plate, a plurality of closed-loop electrodes disposed in electrical communication with the liquid crystal layer, and at least one pair of conductors connected by at least one connector and in electrical contact with at least two closed-loop electrodes:
- applying a variable control voltage to a subset of the plurality of closed-loop electrodes of said LCAL via the at least one pair of conductors;
- passing light through the liquid crystal layer of the LCAL;
- capturing the light after the light passes through the liquid crystal layer of the LCAL;
- calculating a point spread function for the light captured;
- and
- adjusting the variable control voltage at least partially based upon the point spread function to thereby adjust a refractive index of at least a portion of the liquid crystal layer such that the light passing through the liquid crystal layer is redirected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.