Electrically variable focus polymer-stabilized liquid crystal lens having non-homogenous polymerization of a nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture
First Claim
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1. A variable focus liquid crystal lens comprising:
- a cell containing a liquid crystal/monomer mixture having a spatially non-homogenous polymer network structure distributed within the liquid crystal/monomer mixture, the polymer network having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal; and
at least one electrode for applying a substantially uniform voltage to the liquid crystal/monomer mixture in the cell.
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Abstract
A variable focus liquid crystal lens includes a nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture having a spatially inhomogenous polymer network structure, and an electrode for applying a substantially uniform voltage to the nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture. The lens is created within a cell by applying a substantially uniform electric field to the nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture within the cell, while simultaneously irradiating the nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture using a laser beam having a shaped intensity distribution, so as to induce formation of a spatially inhomogenous polymer network structure within the cell.
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14 Claims
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1. A variable focus liquid crystal lens comprising:
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a cell containing a liquid crystal/monomer mixture having a spatially non-homogenous polymer network structure distributed within the liquid crystal/monomer mixture, the polymer network having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal; and at least one electrode for applying a substantially uniform voltage to the liquid crystal/monomer mixture in the cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A variable focus liquid crystal lens comprising:
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a cell filled with a liquid crystal containing a polymer network structure distributed within the liquid crystal/monomer mixture, the polymer network having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal; and a variable alternating field source coupled to said cell for applying an alternating electric field of spatially uniform magnitude to the liquid crystal mixture in the cell. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification