Tunable-focus microlens arrays using nanosized polymer-dispersed liquid crystal droplets

    Authors

    H. W. Ren; Y. H. Fan; Y. H. Lin;S. T. Wu

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Opt. Commun.

    Keywords

    liquid crystal microlens; nanosized polymer-dispersed liquid crystal; tunable focal length; VARIABLE FOCAL LENGTH; LENS; Optics

    Abstract

    A microlens array made of polymer/nanosized polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (nano-PDLC) is demonstrated. The polymer was first patterned into microlens array cavities on a planar substrate and the molded polymer cavities were filled with nano-PDLC material. The nano-PDLC-based microlens is optically transparent. The focal length of the microlens is electrically tunable and the response time is about 200 mu s during focus change. Such an electrically tunable-focus lens is a broadband device and its performance is independent of light polarization. A tradeoff is the high operating voltage. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Optics Communications

    Volume

    247

    Issue/Number

    1-3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2005

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    101

    Last Page

    106

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000227560400011

    ISSN

    0030-4018

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