High contrast PDLC transmission gratings and method of manufacture
First Claim
1. A polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) transmission phase grating capable of operating in the Bragg regime, the grating comprising:
- a cell having a pair of oppositely disposed substrates;
a PDLC grating film contained within said cell, said PDLC film having a spatially periodic distribution of grating planes comprising polymer-rich regions and liquid crystal-rich regions, wherein the major constituent of said polymer-rich regions is a polymer, and wherein the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said liquid crystal-rich regions is greater than the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said polymer-rich regions;
said polymer-rich regions characterized by a scalar optical dielectric constant with a value that remains substantially unperturbed by an electric field being applied in a direction perpendicular to said PDLC grating film;
said liquid crystal-rich regions comprising a polymer matrix containing a liquid crystal-rich material, and said liquid crystal-rich material being characterized by optical dielectric tensor components;
said optical dielectric tensor components comprising an ordinary component measured within said grating planes and an extraordinary component measured perpendicular to said grating planes, said components each having a value determined in the absence of said electric field;
said liquid crystal-rich material having values of said optical dielectric tensor components capable of being altered by the application of said electric field; and
said spatially periodic distribution having a spatial period of preselected value, and said electric field strength having a strength of preselected value, each said preselected value of said spatial period and said electric field strength being based upon the relationship between said scalar optical dielectric constant and said optical dielectric tensor components;
wherein the PDLC transmission phase grating is rendered substantially transparent when subjected to said electric field during the application of light that is p-polarized and incident on the grating at Bragg angle.
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Abstract
A PDLC transmissive phase grating utilizing nematic liquid crystal materials confined in a polymer matrix. The PDLC grating operates in the Bragg regime and switches between diffracting and non-diffracting states via an applied electric field. The grating is made up of a PDLC grating film contained within a cell. The PDLC film has a spatially periodic distribution of grating planes which includes polymer-rich regions and liquid crystal-rich regions, wherein the major constituent of the polymer-rich regions is a polymer, and wherein the liquid crystal constituent concentration within the liquid crystal-rich regions is greater than the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said polymer-rich regions. The PDLC transmission phase grating is rendered substantially transparent when subjected to an electric field during the application of light that is p-polarized and incident on the grating at Bragg angle.
25 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) transmission phase grating capable of operating in the Bragg regime, the grating comprising:
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a cell having a pair of oppositely disposed substrates;
a PDLC grating film contained within said cell, said PDLC film having a spatially periodic distribution of grating planes comprising polymer-rich regions and liquid crystal-rich regions, wherein the major constituent of said polymer-rich regions is a polymer, and wherein the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said liquid crystal-rich regions is greater than the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said polymer-rich regions;
said polymer-rich regions characterized by a scalar optical dielectric constant with a value that remains substantially unperturbed by an electric field being applied in a direction perpendicular to said PDLC grating film;
said liquid crystal-rich regions comprising a polymer matrix containing a liquid crystal-rich material, and said liquid crystal-rich material being characterized by optical dielectric tensor components;
said optical dielectric tensor components comprising an ordinary component measured within said grating planes and an extraordinary component measured perpendicular to said grating planes, said components each having a value determined in the absence of said electric field;
said liquid crystal-rich material having values of said optical dielectric tensor components capable of being altered by the application of said electric field; and
said spatially periodic distribution having a spatial period of preselected value, and said electric field strength having a strength of preselected value, each said preselected value of said spatial period and said electric field strength being based upon the relationship between said scalar optical dielectric constant and said optical dielectric tensor components;
wherein the PDLC transmission phase grating is rendered substantially transparent when subjected to said electric field during the application of light that is p-polarized and incident on the grating at Bragg angle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of producing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) transmission phase grating operating in the Bragg regime, comprising the steps of:
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providing a PDLC grating film contained within a cell, said PDLC film having a spatially periodic distribution of grating planes comprising polymer-rich regions and liquid crystal-rich regions providing the major constituent of said polymer-rich regions as a polymer, and providing the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said liquid crystal-rich regions greater than the liquid crystal constituent concentration within said polymer-rich regions;
characterizing said polymer-rich regions by a scalar optical dielectric constant with a value that remains substantially unperturbed by an electric field being applied in a direction perpendicular to said PDLC grating film;
providing said liquid crystal-rich regions with a polymer matrix filled with liquid crystal-rich material, and said liquid crystal-rich material being characterized by optical dielectric tensor components, wherein said optical dielectric tensor components comprising an ordinary component measured within said grating planes and an extraordinary component measured perpendicular to said grating planes;
determining the value of said ordinary and extraordinary components in the absence of said electric field;
altering values of said optical dielectric tensor components by applying said electric field; and
providing said spatially periodic distribution having a spatial period of preselected value, and said electric field strength having a strength of preselected value, each said preselected value of said spatial period and said electric field strength being based upon the relationship between said scalar optical dielectric constant and said optical dielectric tensor components;
wherein the PDLC transmission phase grating is rendered substantially transparent when subjected to said electric field during the application of light that is p-polarized and incident on the grating at Bragg angle.
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Specification