Double-layer electrode for electro-optic liquid crystal lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513416-B2
Application number	US-202117175050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, apparatus, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a process, method, and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can comprise and/or relate to, generating a gradient in an index of refraction of a material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electro-optic device comprising:
a first liquid crystal lens having a first set of electrodes to impart a first phase profile on incident light; and
a second liquid crystal lens, in optical series with the first liquid crystal lens, having a second set of electrodes to further impart a second phase profile on the incident light, the second phase profile increasing a Strehl ratio of the electro-optic device.

2. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the Strehl ratio is at least about 94%.

3. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid crystal lens and the second liquid crystal lens have anti-parallel liquid crystal alignment directions.

4. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid crystal lens is configured to provide a first number of phase steps per optical wave and the electro-optic device is configured to provide a second number of phase steps per optical wave greater than the first number of phase steps per optical wave.

5. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of electrodes is within about 0.1 micrometers to about 10 micrometers of the second set of electrodes.

6. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of electrodes comprises a first electrode ring connected to a power supply via a buss line and a second electrode ring connected to the power supply via capacitive and/or inductive coupling to the first electrode ring.

7. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of electrodes comprises a first ring electrode and the second set of electrodes comprises a second ring electrode having an inner circumference approximately equal to an outer circumference of the first ring electrode.

8. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of electrodes comprises more electrodes than the second set of electrodes.

9. The electro-optic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
buss lines patterned on a substrate and connecting the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes to a power supply.

10. A method of focusing light with an electro-optic device comprising a first liquid crystal lens and a second liquid crystal lens in series with the first liquid crystal lens, the first liquid crystal lens having a first set of electrodes and the second liquid crystal lens having a second set of electrodes, the method comprising:
imparting a first phase profile on the light with the first liquid crystal lens; and
imparting a second phase profile on the light with the second liquid crystal lens, the second phase profile increasing a Strehl ratio of the electro-optic device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the Strehl ratio is at least about 94%.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first liquid crystal lens and the second liquid crystal lens have anti-parallel liquid crystal alignment directions.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein imparting the first phase profile comprises providing a first number of phase steps per optical wave and focusing the light comprises providing a second number of phase steps per optical wave greater than the first number of phase steps per optical wave.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
coupling current to a first electrode ring in the first set of electrodes via a buss line; and
coupling current from the first electrode ring to a second electrode ring in the first set of electrodes via capacitive and/or inductive coupling.

15. An electro-optic device comprising:
a first liquid crystal lens having a first set of electrodes arranged in a first pattern and configured to actuate a first liquid crystal layer; and
a second liquid crystal lens in optical series with the first liquid crystal lens, the second liquid crystal lens having a second set of electrodes arranged in a second pattern different than the first pattern and configured to actuate a second liquid crystal layer.

16. The electro-optic device of claim 15 , wherein the electro-optic device has a Strehl ratio of at least about 94%.

17. The electro-optic device of claim 15 , wherein the first set of electrodes comprises more electrodes than the second set of electrodes.

18. The electro-optic device of claim 15 , wherein the first set of electrodes comprises a first electrode ring connected to a power supply via a buss line and a second electrode ring connected to the power supply via capacitive and/or inductive coupling to the first electrode ring.

19. The electro-optic device of claim 15 , wherein the first liquid crystal layer is aligned anti-parallel to the second liquid crystal layer.

20. The electro-optic device of claim 15 , further comprising:
buss lines patterned on a substrate and connecting the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes to a power supply.

Assignees

• E Vision Smart Optics Inc
• Univ Kent State Ohio

Inventors

• Li Liwei
• Heugten Anthony Van
• Duston Dwight P
• Bos Phil
• Bryant Douglas

Classifications

• G02F1/294

  Variable focal length devices · CPC title

• G02F1/134309

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title

• G02B30/00

  Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images (in microscopes G02B21/22) · CPC title

• G02F1/29 Primary

  for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection · CPC title