Optical modulation device including liquid crystals, driving method thereof, and optical display device using the same

Abstract

An optical modulation device includes a first electrode layer in which a plurality of electrodes are arranged and a second electrode layer, where the optical modulation device configures a Fresnel zone plate wherein groups of adjacent electrodes of the plurality of electrodes define zones of the Fresnel zone plate. A method of driving the optical modulation device includes applying a common voltage to the second electrode layer, applying starting voltages to the first electrode layer in a first step, applying lens voltages to the first electrode layer in a second step, where polarities of the lens voltages with respect to the common voltage are inverted for every zone, and an absolute difference between starting voltages applied to electrodes adjacent to a zone boundary in the first step is less than an absolute difference of the lens voltages applied to electrodes adjacent to a zone boundary in the second step.