CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Advanced Search
Home > Proceedings > Volume PC12658 > Article
Presentation
5 October 2023 Laser written stretchable diffractive optic elements in polymerizable liquid crystal gels
Bohan Chen, Zimo Zhao, Camron Nourshargh, Chao He, Patrick Salter, Martin Booth, Steve Elston, Stephen Morris
Author Affiliations +
Proceedings Volume PC12658, Liquid Crystals XXVII; PC1265807 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2672466
Event: SPIE Organic Photonics + Electronics, 2023, San Diego, California, United States
Abstract
Two-photon direct laser writing (TPP-DLW) in liquid crystals (LCs) enables a wide range of novel stimuli-responsive functionalities to be realised, which are potentially of interest for a range of technologies such as augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) displays, optical beamsteering, fast-switching devices and much more. In this presentation, we will demonstrate a method of fabricating mechanically deformable anisotropic films that behave as tunable diffraction gratings. These stretchable diffraction gratings have been fabricated using a combination of TPP-DLW and UV polymerization. For the fabrication of the grating, the LC director is frozen-in periodically to form alternating regions of high and low refractive index. To obtain the low and high refractive index, the LC director is locked-in at two different applied voltages to control the orientation of the director at the moment of exposure to the light source. When the free-standing films are subsequently subjected to a mechanical stress in the plane of the grating, it is found that there is a change in the grating period when observed on a polarizing optical microscope, which results in a concomitant change in the far-field diffraction pattern. Finally, our experimental findings for the diffraction intensity of the different orders in the far-field pattern are compared with predictions from simulations.
Conference Presentation
© (2023) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Citation Download Citation
Bohan Chen, Zimo Zhao, Camron Nourshargh, Chao He, Patrick Salter, Martin Booth, Steve Elston, and Stephen Morris "Laser written stretchable diffractive optic elements in polymerizable liquid crystal gels", Proc. SPIE PC12658, Liquid Crystals XXVII, PC1265807 (5 October 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2672466
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
ORGANIZATIONAL
Sign in with credentials provided by your organization.
INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION
PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.
PERSONAL SIGN IN
No SPIE Account? Create one
PURCHASE THIS CONTENT
SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY
50 downloads per 1-year subscription
Members: $195
Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART
25 downloads per 1 - year subscription
Members: $145
Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART
PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE
Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available
Members: $17.00
Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART
PROCEEDINGS
 PRESENTATION
WATCH
PRESENTATION SAVE TO MY LIBRARY
GET CITATION
Advertisement
Advertisement
KEYWORDS
Liquid crystals
Diffraction gratings
Optical components
Polymer optics
Polymers
Ultraviolet radiation
Optical alignment
RELATED CONTENT
Subscribe to Digital Library
Receive Erratum Email Alert
Back to Top