# US 9,436,033 B2 · Liquid-crystal lens

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- Number: US 9,436,033 B2
- Document ID: US9436033B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/379,017
- Filed: 2013-02-04
- Published: 2015-02-05
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-19
- Assignees: Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masaaki Kadomi; Hirokazu Tanaka; Masanori Wada; Takashi Akimoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436033B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/133526: {Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses}
- G02F 1/29: for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
- G02F 1/294: {Variable focal length devices}
- G02F 2201/12: electrode
- G02F 2203/28: focussing or defocussing
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS

## Abstract

Provided is a liquid-crystal lens with low wavefront aberration. A liquid-crystal lens (1) includes a liquid crystal layer (11), a first electrode (21), a second electrode (22), and a high-resistivity layer (41). The first electrode (21) includes: a first electrode portion (21a) including a circular opening (21a1) and a communicating cutout (21a2) formed therein, the communicating cutout (21a2) allowing the circular opening (21a1) to communicate with the outside; and a second electrode portion (21b) including a circular main electrode portion (21b1) disposed within the opening (21a1) and a leading electrode portion (21b2) connected to the main electrode portion (21b1) and disposed within the communicating cutout (21a2). The second electrode (22) faces the first electrode (21) with the liquid crystal layer (11) in between. The high-resistivity layer (41) is disposed between at least the second electrode portion (21b) of the first electrode (21) and the liquid crystal layer (11). The high-resistivity layer (41) has a shape rotationally symmetric about a central axis of the main electrode portion (21b1).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid-crystal lens comprising:
a liquid crystal layer;
a first electrode including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion, the first electrode portion including a circular main portion in which a circular opening is provided and a linear portion in which a communicating cutout is provided, the communicating cutout allowing the circular opening to communicate with the outside, the second electrode portion including a circular main electrode portion disposed within the circular opening and a leading electrode portion connected to the circular main electrode portion and disposed within the communicating cutout;
a second electrode facing the first electrode with the liquid crystal layer in between; and
a high-resistivity layer interposed between at least the second electrode portion of the first electrode and the liquid crystal layer; wherein
the high-resistivity layer has a shape rotationally symmetric about a central axis of the circular main electrode portion; and
the high-resistivity layer extends to a region where the circular main portion of the first electrode portion is provided, and the high-resistivity layer is disposed on only part of the region where the circular main portion of the first electrode portion is provided.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid-crystal lens according to claim 1, wherein the high-resistivity layer is circular.