OSA's Digital Library

Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: C. Martijn de Sterke
  • Vol. 15, Iss. 18 — Sep. 3, 2007
  • pp: 11328–11335

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 15 > Issue 18 > Page 11328

Liquid crystal lens with large focal length tunability and low operating voltage

Hongwen Ren, David W. Fox, Benjamin Wu, and Shin-Tson Wu  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 15, Issue 18, pp. 11328-11335 (2007)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.15.011328


View Full Text Article

Enhanced HTML    Acrobat PDF (508 KB)


Advanced Search

Browse Journals / Lookup Meetings

Browse by Journal and Year


   


Lookup Conference Papers

Close Browse Journals / Lookup Meetings

Article Tools

Share
Citations

Abstract

We demonstrate a tunable focus liquid crystal (LC) lens by sandwiching a homogeneous LC layer between a planar electrode and a curved electrode. The curved electrode which is made of conductive polymer has parabolic shape with a large apex distance. Such design dramatically reduces the phase loss which leads to a short focal length (~15 cm). By using a thin top glass substrate on the curved electrode side, the operating voltage of the lens cell for achieving the shortest focal length is reduced to ~23 Vrms. This LC lens has advantages in large focal length tunability, low operating voltage, and good mechanical stability.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

OCIS Codes
(010.1080) Atmospheric and oceanic optics : Active or adaptive optics
(160.3710) Materials : Liquid crystals
(220.3620) Optical design and fabrication : Lens system design

ToC Category:
Adaptive Optics

History
Original Manuscript: June 7, 2007
Revised Manuscript: July 18, 2007
Manuscript Accepted: August 17, 2007
Published: August 22, 2007

Citation
Hongwen Ren, David W. Fox, Benjamin Wu, and Shin-Tson Wu, "Liquid crystal lens with large focal length tunability and low operating voltage," Opt. Express 15, 11328-11335 (2007)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-15-18-11328


Sort:  Year  |  Journal  |  Reset  

References

  1. S. Sato, "Liquid-crystal lens-cells with variable focal length," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 18, 1679-1684 (1979). [CrossRef]
  2. H. Ren, D. W. Fox, P. A. Anderson, B. Wu, and S. T. Wu, "Tunable-focus liquid lens controlled using a servo motor," Opt. Express 14, 8031-8036 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  3. H. Ren and S. T. Wu, "Variable-focus liquid lens," Opt. Express 15, 5931-5936 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  4. W. L. IJzerman, S. T. de Zwart, and T. Dekker, "Design of 2D/3D switchable displays," SID Symposium Digest, 36, 98-101 (2005). [CrossRef]
  5. S. Suyama, M. Date, and H. Takada, "Three-dimensional display system with dual-frequency liquid-crystal varifocal lens," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Part 1,  38, 480-484 (2000). [CrossRef]
  6. M. Hain, R. Glockner, S. Bhattacharya, D, Dias, S. Stankovic, and T. Tschudi "Fast switching liquid crystal lenses for a dual focus digital versatile disc pickup,"Opt. Commun,  188, 291-299 (2001). [CrossRef]
  7. T. L. Kelly, A. F. Naumov, M. Yu. Loktev, and M. A. Rakhmatulin, "Focusing of astigmatic laser diode beam by combination of adaptive liquid crystal lenses," Opt. Commun. 181, 295-301 (2000). [CrossRef]
  8. H. Ren and S. T. Wu, "Inhomogeneous polymer-dispersed liquid crystals with gradient refractive index," Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3537-3539 (2002). [CrossRef]
  9. H. Ren, Y. H. Fan, and S. T. Wu, "Tunable Fresnel lens using nanoscale polymer-dispersed liquid crystals," Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 1515-1517 (2003). [CrossRef]
  10. B. Wang, M. Ye, M. Honma, T. Nose, and S. Sato, "Liquid crystal lens with spherical electrode," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 41, L1232 -L1233 (2002). [CrossRef]
  11. H. Ren, Y. H. Fan, S. Gauza, and S. T. Wu, "Tunable flat liquid crystal spherical lens," Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 4789-4791 (2004). [CrossRef]
  12. B. Wang, M. Ye, and S. Sato, "Lens of electrically controllable focal length made by a glass lens and liquid crystal layers," Appl. Opt. 43, 3420-3425 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  13. B. Wang, M. Ye, and S. Sato, "Experimental and numerical studies on liquid crystal lens with spherical electrode", Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst.,  433, 217-227 (2005). [CrossRef]
  14. Y. H. Fan, H. Ren, X. Liang, H. Wang, and S. T. Wu, "Liquid crystal microlens arrays with switchable positive and negative focal lengths," J. Display Technology. 1, 151-156 (2005). [CrossRef]
  15. H. Ren and S. T. Wu, "Adaptive liquid crystal lens with large focal length tunability," Opt. Express 14, 11292-11298 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  16. I. Bruce, "Concerning drops," Am. J. Phys. 52, 1102-1105 (1984). [CrossRef]
  17. S. Vafaei and M. Z. Podowski, "Theoretical analysis on the effect of liquid droplet geometry on contact angle," Nuclear Engineering and Design 235, 1293-1301 (2005). [CrossRef]
  18. S. T. Wu, U. Efron, and L. D. Hess, "Birefringence measurements of liquid crystals," Appl. Opt. 23, 3911-3915 (1984). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  19. S. Gauza, H. Wang, C. H. Wen, S. T. Wu, A. J. Seed and R. Dąbrowski, "High birefringence isothiocyanato tolane liquid crystals," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Part 1,  42, 3463-3466 (2003). [CrossRef]
  20. A. Spadło, R. Dąbrowski, M. Filipowicz, Z. Stolarz, J. Przedmojski, S. Gauza, Y. H. Fan, and S. T. Wu "Synthesis, mesomorphic and optical properties of isothiocyanatotolanes," Liq. Cryst. 30, 191-198 (2003). [CrossRef]

Cited By

 Alert me when this paper is cited

OSA is able to provide readers links to articles that cite this paper by participating in CrossRef's Cited-By Linking service. CrossRef includes content from more than 3000 publishers and societies. In addition to listing OSA journal articles that cite this paper, citing articles from other participating publishers will also be listed.


« Previous Article  |  Next Article »

OSA is a member of CrossRef.

CrossCheck Deposited