Fast-Response Liquid Crystal Phase Modulators For Augmented Reality Displays

Abstract

We report three new liquid crystal mixtures optimized for the phase modulator of an augmented reality display. The mixtures exhibit a relatively high birefringence (Δn) yet low viscosity, modest dielectric anisotropy (Δε), and acceptable resistivity and UV stability. High Δn enables a thin cell gap (d≈1.7 μm) for achieving 2π phase change with a reflective Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon (LCoS) device and ~2 ms average phase-to-phase response time at 40°C. The modest Δε helps lower the operation voltage to 5V. To improve the response time of a full-color LCoS, we propose a new driving method by shifting the operation voltage away from the threshold. We also applied such a high Δn LC mixture to LCoS based amplitude modulators and achieved submillisecond response time. Widespread applications of these materials for the emerging augmented reality displays are foreseeable.

Publication Date

12-25-2017

Publication Title

Optics Express

Volume

25

Issue

26

Number of Pages

32757-32766

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.25.032757

Socpus ID

85039077684 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85039077684

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