Electrically variable focus polymer-stabilized liquid crystal lens having non-homogenous polymerization of a nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture
First Claim
1. A method of making a variable focus liquid crystal lens, the method comprising inducing formation of a spatially non-homogenous density polymer network structure distributed within a volume of liquid crystal of a liquid crystal cell of said lens, the polymer network structure having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal.
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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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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A method of making a variable focus liquid crystal lens, the method comprising inducing formation of a spatially non-homogenous density polymer network structure distributed within a volume of liquid crystal of a liquid crystal cell of said lens, the polymer network structure having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal.
- 18. A method of making a variable focus liquid crystal lens, the method comprising irradiating a liquid crystal/monomer mixture within a cell with light having a non-homogenous intensity distribution so as to induce formation of a spatially non-homogenous polymer network structure within the cell, the polymer network structure having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal.
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