USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Christopher M Spillmann

Jawad Naciri

Jakub Kolacz

Jesse A Frantz

Jason D Myers

Robel Y Bekele

Henry G Gotjen

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera

Banahalli R Ratna

Leslie Brandon Shaw

Rajratan Basu

Daniel Kinnamon

Brett D Martin

L Brandon Shaw

Jason Auxier

David A Cylinder

George P Anderson

Jonathan Selinger

Colin P Mcginty

The azo dye brilliant yellow operates to align liquid crystal molecules in three dimensions, for example to establish a desired in-plane alignment and pre-tilt angle. This technique provides a wide range selectable and re-writable pretilt angles from 0° to nearly 90°.

Tunable photoalignment

A liquid crystal (LC) beam steerer includes a waveguide apparatus with a waveguide having a high-index core in contact with a variable-index liquid crystal (LC) cladding, wherein a voltage applied to the LC cladding is effective to steer a beam of light passing through the high-index core. Measuring the bulk birefringence and/or the capacitance characteristics of the LC can facilitate beam steering.

Bulk property feedback for liquid crystal-clad waveguides

A graphene and liquid crystal device comprising a substrate, a layer of graphene on the substrate, and a layer of liquid crystal on the layer of graphene. A graphene and liquid crystal device wherein the layer of graphene is an alignment layer and an electrode for a liquid crystal device.

Concurrent utilization of monolayer graphene as the planar-alignment layers and the transparent conductive electrodes in electro-optic liquid crystal devices

A liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared and has a chalcogenide waveguide. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. The liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device has a tapered subcladding and a liquid crystal layer.

Chalcogenide glass waveguides for refractive non-mechanical beam steerer

Liquid crystal device employing graphene as the planar-alignment agent and electrode

An optical system has a beam-steering device, a light source, and a controller that controls the light source to actively control wavelength of the incoming light to control the output angle of the outgoing light output from the BS device. The BS device may have incoupler, waveguide, and/or outcoupler electrodes, and the system may have corresponding controllable voltage supplies actively controlled by the controller to selectively modify electric fields applied to the BS device to control corresponding operating characteristics of the BS device (e.g., in-plane and/or out-of-plane output angles of the outgoing light and/or device incoupling angle). An alternative optical system has a BS device, a detector array that generates detector signals corresponding to outgoing light received from the BS device, and a controller that processes the detector signals to determine one or more wavelengths of the outgoing light.

Wavelength-based steering of non-mechanical beam-steering devices

A method for making a chalcogenide glass waveguide in a liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. A mask is used to produce a tapered subcladding. Also disclosed is the related non-mechanical beam steering device that includes a chalcogenide waveguide.

A graphene and liquid crystal device comprising a substrate, a layer of graphene on the substrate, and a layer of liquid crystal on the layer of graphene. A method of making a graphene and liquid crystal device comprising the steps of providing a substrate, depositing a layer of graphene on the substrate, and depositing a layer of liquid crystals on the layer of graphene.

Graphene as an alignment layer and electrode for liquid crystal devices

An optical system has a beam-steering device having a planar waveguide region between a tapered incoupler and a tapered outcoupler that respectively define opposing incoupler and outcoupler facets of the BS device. Each region has a substrate, a subcladding layer over the substrate, a core layer over the subcladding, and a top cladding layer over the core. Within the incoupler, at least one of the subcladding and the top cladding has a material having a refractive index that varies with an applied field (e.g., an electric field) applied at the incoupler. The optical system also has a field-applying device that applies the applied field at the incoupler, an output detector that generates a feedback signal based on detected outgoing light output from the outcoupler, and a controller that controls the field-applying device based on the feedback signal to alter the light output from the outcoupler.

Technique for dynamically controlling the incoupler of a beam-steering device

A method for achieving alignment and optical switching of a liquid crystal (LC) layer that is deposited on chalcogenide glass (ChG). Direct brushing of ChG produces an effective LC alignment layer. Also disclosed is the related waveguide assembly for achieving alignment and optical switching of a liquid crystal (LC) layer deposited on chalcogenide glass (ChG).

Liquid crystal alignment on chalcogenide glasses

A nanoparticle having a surfactant shell with a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic inner surface and an organic chromophore and a polymer having aromatic groups within the surfactant shell. A method of making nanoparticles by: emulsifying an aqueous composition of a surfactant and an organic solution of a monomer and an organic chromophore to form micelles of the monomer and the chromophore inside a surfactant shell; and polymerizing the monomer. A method of: reacting a &#x3c9;-bromoalkyl acid with acryloyl acid lithium salt, and reacting the product with sodium hydride to produce an acryloyloxyalkyl carboxylic acid sodium salt. The compound shown below. 

Fluorescent organic nanoparticles

A method comprising arranging a first heating element on a first liquid crystal elastomer, arranging a first layer of thermal paste on the first heating element, and arranging a second liquid crystal elastomer on the first layer of thermal paste.

Method for stacking thermal actuators with liquid crystal elastomer

An apparatus comprising a first liquid crystal elastomer, a first heating element, a first layer of thermal paste, and a second liquid crystal elastomer. The apparatus further comprising a second heating element, a second layer of thermal paste, and a third liquid crystal elastomer. The heating element can be a nickel-chromium heating element. A method comprising arranging a first heating element on a first liquid crystal elastomer, arranging a first layer of thermal paste on the first heating element, and arranging a second liquid crystal elastomer on the first layer of thermal paste.

The invention describes shape changing membranes that can be precisely controlled using the unique approach of smectic liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) with patterned electrodes and a process of preparing and creating the elastomers. The methods to create the shape changing membranes is based on the electroclinic effect of smectic layers in a polymer network and provides a novel material for actuators.

Growing community of inventors

Annandale, VA, United States of America

Christopher M Spillmann