Controllable shifting, steering, and expanding of light beam based on multi-layer liquid-crystal cells

Abstract

Shaping and steering of light beams is essential in many modern applications, ranging from optical tweezers, camera lenses, vision correction to 3D displays. However, current realisations require increasingly greater tunability and aim for lesser specificity for use in diverse applications. Here, we demonstrate tunable light beam control based on multi-layer liquid-crystal cells and external electric field, capable of extended beam shifting, steering, and expanding, using a combination of theory and full numerical modelling, both for liquid crystal orientations and the transmitted light. Specifically, by exploiting three different function-specific and tunable birefringent nematic layers, we show an effective liquid-crystal beam control device, capable of precise control of outgoing light propagation, with possible application in projectors or automotive headlamps.

Impact of laser polarization and angle of incidence on phase shifting efficacy of an all-optically addressed liquid crystal delay line at X band

“…Meanwhile, future research can examine the behavior of the laser-induced functional threshold (LIFT) and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) at sub-LIDT fluences under multi-pulse irradiation settings [16]. More advanced beam shaping techniques [17] can also be targeted.…”

Geometric theory of topological defects: methodological developments and new trends

“…α depends on the surface geometry (radius), on the liquid crystal nature (elastic constant K, saddle-play The beam steering technique relies on a modulation of refractive indices to guide light in a given direction ( [182][183][184][185]). More recently, the possibility to continuously deflect in arbitrary directions and/or to simultaneously focus/defocus an incoming light beam has been demonstrated from multiple stacked nematic liquid crystal cells-building blocks [186].…”

Controllable optical tweezer and spanner in evanescent fields via a single plasmonic metasurface

“…In recent years, the improvements of micro-nano fabrication technologies have provided great opportunities in controlling light fields with nanophotonic structures. For example, by designing metasurfaces with subwavelength meta-atoms, miniaturized flat optical elements with various functions have been proposed, such as metalens [6][7][8][9][10], meta-hologram [11][12][13][14], optical vortex generators [15][16][17][18], beam steering [19][20][21][22], and generation of special optical beams [23][24][25][26]. As for the SPP field propagating on a dielectric-metal interface, different plasmonic structures, including subwavelength nanoantennas and plasmonic metasurfaces, are reported to achieve unidirectional propagating [27][28][29], focusing [30], and SPP vortex generating [31,32].…”