Abstract:
Liquid crystal light beam control devices and their manufacture are described. Beneficial aspects of beam broadening devices employed for controlled illumination and architectural purposes are presented including improving beam divergence control, improving beam broadening dynamic range control, beam divergence preconditioning, improving projected beam intensity uniformity.
Abstract:
A variable liquid crystal optical device for controlling the propagation of light has one or more transparent thin-film highly-resistive layer (HRL) coupled to a substrate and an electrode structure. The HRL has core layer and a cover or proximity layer, wherein the core layer material has a higher electrical conductivity and higher refractive index than the cover layer material; and wherein the core and cover layer materials have substantially the same free energies of formation of oxide. In this way, the electrode structure will be environmentally stable and responsive to an applied electrical current to generate a spatially non-uniform magnetic field.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described. Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes. Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate. The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed. The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects. Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use.
Abstract:
A liquid crystal optical device is provided. The optical device includes a liquid crystal cell controlling optical properties of light passing therethrough and has: a liquid crystal layer, a planar electrode located to one side of said liquid crystal layer; an electric field control structure located to the opposite side of the liquid crystal layer; and a wavefront adjustment structure configured to provide optical phase front adjustment. In some embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a conductive floating electrode. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance having a frequency dependent characteristic.
Abstract:
A wafer level method of manufacturing a liquid crystal optical device removes the need for a rigid barrier fillet while minimizing any risk of contamination of the liquid crystal. An uncured adhesive may be deposited on a bottom substrate and partially cured to form a liquid crystal barrier. After addition of the liquid crystal and a top substrate, the adhesive is fully cured to bond the substrate layers together. An uncured adhesive may be used together with the partially cured adhesive, and may be deposited separately or filled into an extracellular matrix surrounding a plurality of liquid crystal cells. The adhesive may be cured by a variety of means, including light that may be spatially modulated. One or both of the substrates may be deformed during assembly so as to create a structure with a lensing effect on light passing through the liquid crystal region.
Abstract in simplified Chinese:一种液晶光学设备,被配置为对通过该设备的光通孔的光进行可变光束转向或折射菲涅尔透镜的控制。该设备包括至少一层液晶材料,其夹持在具有取向层的基板中。电极布置被配置成在液晶层的多个区域内提供空间上变化的电场分布。液晶光学设备的结构配置为实现光学相位延迟的空间变化,以及在各区域的边界上的过渡,其为跨多个区域的边界的近似的锯齿状波形。电极布置、设备的层状几何形状和驱动电极的方法,增加了整个光学设备的有效光通孔。
Abstract in simplified Chinese:本发明描述液晶光束控制设备及其制造。采用光束展宽设备的有益效果,以用于控制照明和建筑用途,包括改善光束发散控制,改善光束展宽动态范围控制,光束发散预调节,提高投射光束强度的均匀性和减少投射光束的颜色分离。同时给出了具有平面内和垂直基态的两种液晶取向的光束控制设备。
Abstract in simplified Chinese:一个空间非均匀的电极结构,其用于控制一个空间非均匀电场,以控制一个可调谐的液晶透镜,该空间非均匀的电极结构可实现预定的空间非均匀电厂轮廓,其中采用复数个不同的电浮置的相邻电极段之间的复合电容性耦合。透过对有限个电极施加初始电位,以形成一个所希望的电场分布。
Abstract:
A controllable light propagation system includes a light guide elongated in a first direction, a controllable liquid crystal (LC) element including an LC material and having a first side adjacent the light guide to define a dynamic interface between the light guide and controllable LC element, and an array of electrodes arranged at different locations along the first direction. The array of electrodes arranged along the first direction are selectively activatable to generate electric fields in the LC material to control a transmissivity of the dynamic interface between the light guide and the controllable LC element, thereby allowing a controlled extraction of light at selected locations along the light guide. An array of optical elements may be provided at a second side of the controllable LC element to deflect or otherwise influence the extracted light, e.g., as a function of the location of the extracted light along the first direction.
Abstract:
A reprogrammable intraocular adaptive lens prosthesis apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a tunable liquid crystal lens (TLCL) encapsulated in the intraocular prosthesis with control electronics and a power source or in the intraocular prosthesis with a control signal receiver while an external control electronics package transmits the control signal. The TLCL is driven in response to a stimulus signal to provide accommodation. The TLCL corrects other visual shortcomings of the natural eye. The intraocular prosthesis has a remote programmable TLCL controller configured to recalibrate the TLCL to compensate for dynamic adaptation of the eye over time.