Kent State University

Other

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

California State University, Sacramento

Philip J Bos

Achintya K Bhowmik

Jianmin Chen

Lei Shi

Douglas Bryant

Jianlin Li

William E Glenn

Brett E Smith

David L Johnson

Hemasiri K Vithana

Bentley Wall

Carvel E Holton

Hsien-Hui Cheng

Cheng Kai Chen

Carl O Bozler

Charles D Hoke

John L West

Xiao-Yang Huang

Robert K Reich

Harry R Clark

Deng-Ke Yang

David B Chung

Shaun R Berry

Robert J Twieg

Na Liu

Tatiana A Sergan

Anders Grunnet-Jepson

Ke Zhang

James E Anderson

Kun Gao

Bin Wang

Richard Hewitt

Jonathan C Ruth

Vassili V Sergan

David L Johnson, Deceased

Paul F Manamon

Colin P McGinty

Valerie A Finnemeyer

Enkh-Amgalan Dorjgotov

Hsienhui Cheng

Afsoon Jamali

Salman Saeed

An optical beam deflection device includes a dual-twist Pancharatnam phase device (DTPPD) with first and second Pancharatnam layers each with an in-plane twist and a transverse twist that is at least 60&#xb0; over the thickness of each Pancharatnam layer, and more preferably at least 75&#xb0;, and still more preferably at least 90&#xb0;, with the twist sense of the second Pancharatnam layer being opposite the twist sense of the first Pancharatnam layer. To provide switchable beam deflection, an electro-optic polarization element inputs a circularly polarized light beam to the DTPPD with left-handed circular polarization or right-handed circular polarization controlled by an electrical input.

Large angle image steering device

An optical magnification system comprises two Pancharatnam lenses, and provides a first magnification for left-hand circularly polarized light and a second magnification different from the first magnification for right-hand circularly polarized light. An optical magnification system comprises two lenses, each having different focal lengths for left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized light, respectively, and configured to provide a first magnification for left-handed circularly polarized light and a second magnification different from the first magnification for right-handed circularly polarized light.

Compact non-mechanical zoom lens having focal lengths dependent upon left- or right-handedness of circularly polarized light

A stereoscopic display device is provided for displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image as viewed by eyes consisting of a left eye and a right eye. In the display device, a single display screen, or separate left and right display screens, present a left image to the left eye but not the right eye, and present a right image to the right eye but not the left eye. A gaze distance tracker is configured to track gaze distance of the eyes. Variable-power lenses include a left variable-power lens arranged to provide eye accommodation for the left eye, and a right variable-power lens arranged to provide eye accommodation for the right eye. An electronic eye accommodation controller is configured to control the power of the variable power lenses to allow the image from the display to be focused on the retina, while the biological eye lens is accommodated to the gaze distance.

Stereoscopic display with reduced accommodation fatique

Liquid crystal photonic devices and microcavities filled with liquid crystal materials are becoming increasingly popular. These devices often present a challenge when it comes to creating a robust alignment layer in pre-assembled cells. Previous research on photo-definable alignment layers has shown that they have limited stability, particularly against subsequent light exposure. A method of infusing a dye into a microcavity to produce an effective photo-definable alignment layer is described, along with a method of utilizing a pre-polymer infused into the microcavity mixed with the liquid crystal to provide photostability. In this method, the polymer layer, formed under optical irradiation of liquid crystal cells, is effectively localized to a thin region near the substrate surface and thus provides a significant improvement in the photostability of the liquid crystal alignment. This versatile alignment layer method, which can be used in microcavities to displays, offers significant promise for new photonics applications.

Methods and apparatus for liquid crystal photoalignment

Electro-optic lenses, including liquid crystals, wherein the power of the lenses can be modified by application of an electric field. In one embodiment, the liquid crystal-based lenses include ring electrodes having a resistive bridge located between adjacent electrodes, and in a preferred embodiment, input connections for several electrode rings are spaced on the lens. In a further embodiment, liquid crystal-based lenses are provided that can increase optical power through the use of phase resets, wherein in one embodiment, a lens includes ring electrodes on surfaces of the substrates on opposite sides of the liquid crystal cell such that a fixed phase term can be added to each set of electrodes that allows for phase change across each group of electrodes to be the same and also be matched with respect to a previous group.

Tunable electro-optic liquid crystal lenses having resistive bridges and methods for forming the lenses

Tunable electrode-optic liquid crystal lenses having resistive bridges and methods for forming the lenses

A phase retarder comprises first and second &#x3c0;-cells or other tunable birefringent devices arranged optically in series. The phase retardation value of the phase retarder is a difference between the phase retardation values of the first and second &#x3c0;-cells. Driving circuitry drives the phase retarder to generate a target phase retardation value by: (1) prior to a relaxation period, biasing the &#x3c0;-cells to produce the target phase retardation value; (2) during the relaxation period, biasing the first &#x3c0;-cell at a constant bias value; and (3) during the relaxation period, lowering the bias value of the second &#x3c0;-cell continuously or stepwise to maintain the target phase retardation value for the phase retarder throughout the relaxation period. In some embodiments the operation (2) comprises applying zero bias to the first &#x3c0;-cell throughout the relaxation period. In some embodiments the operation (1) comprises applying a maximum operational bias to the second &#x3c0;-cell.

Fast response optical devices by double liquid crystal cells structure

Liquid crystal cells and lenses having a variable resulting pre-tilt across two or more areas of the cell, and in particular, cells and lenses are provided wherein a resulting pre-tilt is varied across the cell according to any desired birefringence profile that can be utilized in liquid crystalline optical elements and liquid crystal displays. Methods of fabrication of the liquid crystal cells with variable resulting pre-tilt are disclosed.

Photo-patterned pre-tilt liquid crystal cells, lenses and methods

An electro-optical device comprises a liquid crystal material disposed in a cell and electrodes configured to bias the liquid crystal material into a generally in-plane director configuration having a non-constant spatial pattern selectable or adjustable by an in-plane component of the biasing to produce a desired refractive of diffractive optical effect.

Tunable liquid crystal devices, devices using same, and methods of making and using same

Provided is a liquid crystal (LC) device and method thereof. The device comprises (i) a body of liquid crystal, (ii) a first layer comprising a first material, and (iii) a second layer comprising a second material; wherein the first layer is located between the body of liquid crystal and the second layer; the first layer alone aligns the liquid crystal in a first orientation; the second layer alone aligns the liquid crystal in a second orientation; and the first orientation is different from the second orientation. With optimized first layer thickness, the invention can be used in sensor applications to improve detection sensitivity, and in LCD applications with enhanced control over LC pretilt transition.

Liquid crystal device and methods thereof

A liquid crystal etalon includes a chiral nematic material contained in a liquid crystal cell having alignment surfaces configured to bias the chiral nematic material toward a twisted liquid crystal configuration with a twist less than 360&#xb0;. Electrodes are arranged to apply an operative electrical bias to the liquid crystal cell. Mirrors disposed about the chiral nematic material define a resonant optical cavity. At a first electrical bias the etalon is transmissive for light of a first wavelength via a selected liquid crystal twist angle and cavity thickness at which different non-equal eigenmodes reach resonance conditions simultaneously. In a projector embodiment, a projection system with a field sequential image projection light source is coupled with the liquid crystal etalon, the etalon electrodes are patterned into pixels defining a display area, and the projector is operated in a field sequential illumination mode.

Polarization independent liquid crystal-based etalon and devices using same

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal alignment agent, a liquid crystal device produced by using the liquid crystal alignment agent thereof, and a method for alignment of liquid crystal molecules by using the liquid crystal alignment agent. In more detail, the present embodiments relates to a novel liquid crystal alignment agent used in a method of aligning liquid crystal molecules, wherein the agent includes a molecule having a highly polar functional group grafted onto an end of the molecule.

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The present invention provides a full color liquid crystal display of passive matrix design that includes a polarizer, an analyzer having a transmission axis, and at least one light generation stage positioned between the polarizer and analyzer for transmitting light of a desired wavelength to the analyzer. This light generation stage includes a first retarder stack that rotates desired wavelengths of light to a particular polarization state, a second retarder stack inverted and rotated by 90 degrees with respect to said first retarder stack, and a passive matrix addressed optical element positioned between the first and second retarder stacks. The retardation and orientation of each of the first retarder stack, second retarder stack, and passive matrix addressed optical element are optimized so as to provide a color generation stage that places desired wavelengths of light substantially along the transmission axis of the analyzer.

Birefringent filter-based color generation scheme for a passive matrix display device

A liquid crystal diffractive light valve includes: a pair of opposed substrates wherein one of the substrates is a silicon wafer with associated electronics. The other substrate has an electrode layer facing the silicon substrate. And a ultraviolet curable composite material is disposed between the substrates which is then phase separated to form polymer walls having liquid crystal directors fixed therein regardless of application of an electric field across the electrode layers, and wherein pixel regions are formed between the polymer walls. The pixel regions have liquid crystal directors which are movable when an electric field is applied across the electrode layers. Application of an electric field allows for generation of phase differences between the wall and pixel regions to allow for Liquid Crystal on Silicon devices to be used as diffractive light valves.

Liquid crystal on silicon diffractive light valve

A liquid crystal display device including a polyimide alignment layer, having a bistable liquid crystal material and a polymer stabilizer in an amount effective to stabilize the liquid crystal the liquid crystal preferably having a low or medium pretilt angle to eliminate undesired states and stripe tendency and to increase hysteresis. The device has a low driving voltage, low power consumption and fast switching.

Bistable liquid crystal display device using polymer stabilization

Growing community of inventors

Hudson, OH, United States of America

Philip J Bos