Nikon Corporation

Essilor International

Eva Oton

Estelle Netter

Fuyuhiko Inoue

Yukiko Katayama

Toshiki Nakano

A wavelength tunable optical filter and a method for switching and adjusting the wavelength tunable optical filter. The optical filter includes a liquid crystal cell comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal mixture inserted between two electrodes configured to apply a voltage, the cholesteric liquid crystal mixture comprising a chiral dopant and a dual frequency liquid crystal host material, the liquid crystal cell having a reference Bragg reflection wavelength in the spectral range between 300 nm and 900 nm, and the liquid crystal cell having a first Bragg reflection wavelength, when the applied voltage is modulated at a frequency comprised in an intermediate frequency range which is above a cross-over frequency and below a high frequency limit, the first Bragg reflection wavelength being different from the reference Bragg reflection wavelength and the cholesteric liquid crystal mixture being non-scattering both in the reference Bragg reflection mode and in the first Bragg reflection mode.

Wavelength tunable optical filter and method for switching and adjusting thereof

An optical component including a first layer, a second layer and a bulk sandwiched between the first and second layers, where the bulk is formed by a composition containing a liquid crystal material which is in a blue phase. At least one of the first and second layers has, toward the bulk, an alignment layer. The blue phase of the liquid crystal material exhibits a uniform organization in three directions (Ox, Oy, Oz) in at least 80% of the volume of the bulk, the liquid crystal material being stabilized in the blue phase at least over the temperatures ranging from 10&#xb0; C. to 35&#xb0; C.

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Minato-ku, Japan

Eva Oton