High-definition imaging system based on spatial light modulators with light-scattering mode

We have developed a prototype high-definition imaging system using polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) light valves, which can modulate unpolarized light with high spatial resolution and exhibit a high optical efficiency, based on the light-scattering effect. We fabricated high-definition light valves with a fine polymer-matrix structure in a PDLC film by controlling the curing conditions used during the photopolymerization-induced phase separation and formation process. This device has excellent characteristics, such as a high resolution, with 50 lp/mm for a limiting resolution and greater than 20 lp/mm at the 50% modulation transfer function point, and a reflectivity of greater than 60%. An optically addressable full-color projection display was designed, consisting of three PDLC light valves, a schlieren optical system based on shift-decentralization optics with a xenon lamp illumination and input-image sources with 1.5 million pixels, including electrical image compensation of the gamma characteristics. We succeeded in displaying pictures on a 110-inch screen with a resolution of 810 TV lines and a luminous flux of 1900-2100 American National Standards Institute lumens.     

Depth-enhanced integral imaging display system with electrically variable image planes using polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layers

A depth-enhanced three-dimensional integral imaging system with electrically variable image planes is proposed. For implementing the variable image planes, polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) films and a projector are adopted as a new display system in the integral imaging. Since the transparencies of PDLC films are electrically controllable, we can make each film diffuse the projected light successively with a different depth from the lens array. As a result, the proposed method enables control of the location of image planes electrically and enhances the depth. The principle of the proposed method is described, and experimental results are also presented.     

Polarization-independent optical fiber modulator by use of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

Ultrasmall light modulators have been made by sandwiching a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) between two ferrules with optical fibers. The device can modulate light independent of the state of polarization, because the PDLC becomes transparent or opaque when either sufficient or no voltage is applied to the film. The PDLC was prepared by mixing and annealing a prepolymer and nematic liquid crystal with large anisotropy. An optical fiber modulator with a 30-mum thick PDLC film had an extinction ratio of 8:1-33:1, an insertion loss of 1.3 dB, and rise and decay times of 4 ms at a wavelength of 1.3 mum.     

Spatial light modulators for projection displays

Spatial light modulators (SLM's) consisting of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film and a Bi(12)SiO(20) photoconductor are discussed and demonstrated. This device, which uses light scattering in the PDLC film, has several advantages including no polarizer, a low optical loss, and video-rate operation. The device was designed by use of an electrical-image method. High-definition SLM's with a limiting resolution (36-50 line pairs/mm) were fabricated by stacking of an optimized mirror and the PDLC film. The device, which was incorporated into a Schlieren system with a 1-kW xenon lamp, provided high-contrast video images and a total luminous flux of 1000 lm.     

Advances in the display quality of dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films by addition of disc-shaped multidirectional light-control film

Typically, the addition of a dye is considered to increase the contrast ratio (CR) of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) display; however, with the addition of a small amount of dye, the contrast ratio (CR) unexpectedly decreased as compare to the CR of a normal white PDLC display, attributed to various reasons. In this study, an additional multidirectional light scattering polymer film is developed over a conventional dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (DPDLC) film to enhance the CR. For this, a disc-shape (DS) pattern on PN393 film is coated. This structure is believed to enhance the scattering properties of DPDLC displays via multiple-directional scattering nature of DS pattern film. Fabrications of such devices are simple and have advantageous of its low-cost production. This optimal designed disc-shaped light-scattering (DSS) film resulted in the enhancement of the CR of the DPDLCs.     

Wrinkled liquid-crystalline microparticle-enhanced photoresponse of PDLC-like films by coupling with mechanical stretching

Photoresponsive behaviors are studied in hybrid liquid-crystalline (LC) films prepared with light-responsive LC polymer microparticles as dopants using photoinert polymers as a host material. Upon mechanical stretching, both topological shape change and mesogenic alignment occur in the LC polymer microparticles, enabling the polymer-dispersed LC (PDLC)-like films to bend toward a light source upon UV irradiation. The rough morphologies of the hydrophobic LC microparticles enhance their interactions with hydrophilic polymer substrates. The bilayer-like structures of the hybrid film formed in the fabrication processes are responsible for the photomechanical behavior, which is reversibly controlled by combing light irradiation with the stretching processes.     

Linear size gradient single layers of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal micrometer-sized droplets for diffractive optics

An experimental study of coherent light diffraction by wedge-formed single layers composed of liquid crystal (LC) micro-sized droplets dispersed in a transparent solid polymer matrix is reported. The micrometer-sized polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material contains prolate-ellipsoid-like LC droplets with a linear-gradient size distribution along the wedge slope. The droplet diameter in the films reaches several tens of micrometers, defined by the wedge. Such a droplet organization in a two-dimensional layer provides both spatial and electrical control of the coherent light diffraction by the LC/polymer interface.     

Fabrication of flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal films using conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes

Conducting polymers exhibit good mechanical and interfacial compatibility with plastic substrates. We prepared an optimized coating formulation based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl acrylate and fabricated a transparent electrode on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. The surface resistances and transmittance of the prepared thin films were 500-600 Ω/□ and 87% at 500 nm, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the conducting polymer electrode, we fabricated a five-layer flexible polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) device as a PET-PEDOT-PDLC-PEDOT-PET flexible film. The prepared PDLC device exhibited a low driving voltage (15 VAC), high contrast ratio (60:1), and high transmittance in the ON state (60%), characteristics that are comparable with those of conventional PDLC film based on indium tin oxide electrodes. The fabrication of conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes in this study showed that such films can be used as a substitute for an indium tin oxide electrode, which further enhances the flexibility of PDLC film.     

Polarization properties of a nematic liquid-crystal spatial light modulator for phase modulation

The polarization properties of a nematic zero-twist liquid-crystal (NLC) spatial light modulator (SLM) were studied. A large ratio between the liquid-crystal (LC) layer thickness and the pixel pitch combined with spatial variations in the applied electric field causes fringing fields between pixels. Depending on the LC alignment, the electric field components within the LC layer can result in a twist deformation. The produced inhomogeneous optical anisotropy affects the polarization of light propagating through the device. We experimentally examined polarization effects in different diffraction orders for both binary and blazed phase gratings. Simulations of the LC deformation together with finite-difference time-domain simulations for the optical propagation were used to calculate the corresponding far-field intensities. It was demonstrated how rigorous simulations of the NLC SLM properties can be used to understand the polarization features of different diffraction orders.     

Electrooptical properties and microstructure of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal doped with various reinforcing materials

Different types of reinforcing material, such as hydrophilic silica (Aerosil 200), (1-propylmethacrylate)-heptaisobutyl-substituted PSS (POSS-1), octavinyl-substituted PSS (POSS-8), octamethyl-substituted PSS (POSS-octa), and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were incorporated into a conventional polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) system to enhance electrooptical properties by increasing phase separation, resulting from increasing the gel content and decreasing the viscosity of the mixture. The mixtures with POSS-1, POSS-octa, and Aerosil 200 show lower viscosity than the neat mixture, caused by the weak interaction of monomer molecules because of inserting these particles into the monomer chains, whereas the mixtures with POSS-8 and PDMS show an increase in viscosity. The PDLC film with POSS-1 represents the lowest off-transmittance value because the gel content is above 94% and the droplet size of the LC is optimal. However, when the gel content is decreased, the droplet size of the LC in the film becomes large because of unreactive monomer flowing into the LC, giving rise to the increase in off-transmittance value.     

Optical enhancement of dye-doped PDLC by additional dye-LC layer coating

Dye-doped PDLC has a high probability to be used as reflective optical shutter due to its good reflectance compared to normal PDLC or LC shutter structures. The black state can be significantly enhanced by the minimized surface scattering between polymer and LC surface, which makes a harmful result to the contrast ratio, one of most important factors for optical shutter. To remove this scattering effect, we have developed new combinational structure, consisted of guest dye-doped LC (DLC) and dye-doped PDLC (DPDLC). In the newly fabricated dye-doped PDLC structure, the front location of dye-doped LC layer can remove the light scattering effect of the surface of single dye PDLC structure. The proposed process can also remove the randomly distributed dyes in polymer area of dye PDLC. This technique enhances the reflectance as well as the contrast ratio.     

Applications of multidirectional asymmetrical microlens-array light-control films on reflective liquid-crystal displays for image quality enhancement

The multidirectional asymmetrical microlens-array light-control film (MAMA-LCF) is developed for enhancing the image brightness and contrast ratio of various reflective liquid-crystal displays. By use of index-matching material, the interface reflection is greatly reduced. Through optimized designs, the surface-scattering effect is also suppressed; thus the contrast ratio is much enhanced. From experimental results, the MAMA-LCF leads to a approximately 1.5 x gain in brightness over the MgO standard white and a 15:1 contrast ratio for the reflective color super-twist nematic liquid-crystal display, 2.8 x MgO and a 23:1 contrast ratio for the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal, and 2.8 x MgO and a 13:1 contrast ratio for the cholesteric liquid-crystal display. Potential applications of this low-cost plastic thin film for reflective liquid-crystal displays are foreseeable.     

Liquid-crystal depolarizer consisting of randomly aligned hybrid orientation domains

A novel depolarization method for linearly polarized incident light that uses a liquid-crystal (LC) cell with randomly aligned hybrid orientation domains is theoretically described by use of Mueller matrix calculations. The depolarization effect of the incident linear polarization is confirmed with Stokes parameter measurements. The unique optical properties of the fabricated LC depolarizer are revealed; that is, the intensity of the transmitted light is independent of the rotation of the analyzer. The degree of polarization becomes zero when the retardation of the LC depolarizer coincides with a half-wavelength.     

Electrically controllable in-line-type polarizer using polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal spliced optical fibers

The polarization-dependent transmission of light through an electrically controllable in-line-type polarizer that is made from polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal spliced optical fibers is discussed experimentally and theoretically. This in-line-type optical splicing method has the advantage of low transmission loss when it is applied in optical fiber communication systems. An anomalous diffraction approach is used to compute the scattering cross section of polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal droplets. The experimental results are supported by a theoretical analysis. This device can be employed in electrically controllable in-line-type polarizers and has the potential to yield electrically controllable polarization-dependent loss compensators.     

Optical analysis of a liquid-crystal switch system based on total internal reflection

A complete methodology using matrix representations for describing light transmission and reflection at an interface between an isotropic medium with high refractive index and a uniaxial birefringent material where total internal reflection (TIR) could happen is described systematically. A new TIR-based liquid-crystal (LC) switch system is proposed and investigated in detail by using this analyzing method. The criteria of selection of critical parameters such as LC mixture, waveguide, and operation mode of the LC layer, etc., are discussed. Dependence of transmission on incident angle and dynamic characteristics under an electric field are given for different cell gaps. The results give detailed and useful guidance in the fabrication of the LC switch system.     

Deformed-Helix Ferroelectric Liquid-Crystal Spatial Light Modulator that Demonstrates High Diffraction Efficiency and 370-Line Pairs/mm Resolution.

New liquid-crystal media and photoconductor materials are being utilized in spatial light modulators to increase their resolution, diffraction efficiency, speed, and sensitivity. A prototypical device developed for real-time holography applications has shown an 8% diffraction efficiency from a holographic grating with a spatial frequency of 370 line pairs/mm (lp/mm). At 18 lp/mm the device has demonstrated a 31% diffraction efficiency with a 600-mus hologram write time using 400-nJ/cm(2) write beams.     

Gradient polymer-disposed liquid crystal single layer of large nematic droplets for modulation of laser light

The light modulating ability of gradient polymer-disposed liquid crystal (PDLC) single layer of large droplets formed by nematic E7 in UV-cured polymer NOA65 is studied. Operating at relatively low voltages, such PDLC film with a of thickness 10-25?μm and droplet size up to 50?μm exhibits a good contrast ratio and is capable of producing a large phase shift for the propagating coherent light. For a linearly polarized He-Ne laser (λ=633?nm), an electrically commanded phase shift as large as π/2 can be obtained by the large-droplet region of the film. The electrically produced phase shift and its spatial profile controlled by the thickness of the gradient PDLC single layers of large nematic droplets can be useful for tunable spatial light modulators and other devices for active control of laser light.     

Optimized Stokes polarimeters based on a single twisted nematic liquid-crystal device for the minimization of noise propagation

This work evidences the suitability of applying a single twisted nematic liquid-crystal (TN-LC) device to obtain dynamic polarimeters with high accuracy and repeatability. Different Stokes polarimeter setups based on a TN-LC device are optimized, leading to the minimization of the noise propagated from intensity measurements to the Stokes vector calculations. To this aim, we revise the influence of working out of normal incidence and of performing a double pass of the light beam through the LC device. In addition, because transmissive TN-LC devices act as elliptical retarders, an extra study is performed. It analyzes the influence of projecting the light exiting from the TN-LC device over elliptical states of polarization. Finally, diverse optimized polarimeters are experimentally implemented and validated by measuring different states of partially and fully polarized light. The analysis is conducted both for monochromatic (He-Ne laser) and LED light sources, proving the potential of polarimeters based on a single TN-LC device.     

Effects of rigid structures containing (meth)acrylate monomers and crosslinking agents with different chain length on the morphology and electro-optical properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films

ABSTRACT

This contribution investigates the preparation of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films based on meth(acrylate) monomers containing rigid structures. The current study specifically focuses on comparison of the monomers on the basis of meth(acrylate) side group, flexible/rigid structures and rigidity. We find that methacrylate monomers exhibit more preferable electro-optic properties than that of the acrylate monomers. Furthermore, through the systematic variation of rigidity, composition of the monomers and chain length of crosslinking agents, both the morphologies and electro-optic properties of these films are found to be adjustable. A composite film is demonstrated by employing moderately rigid monomer (tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate) with low driving voltage (21.0?V) and high contrast ratio (87.5). Therefore, the studies here provide a new approach to optimize the electro-optical properties of the PDLC films by introducing monomers with rigid structures.     

Switchable circular-to-point converter based on holographic polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal technology

We demonstrate the use of a switchable circular-to-point converter (SCPC) device based on holographic polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal technology for application in lidar detection and optical telecommunication. A SCPC device converts the Fabry-Perot ring pattern into a single point or an array of points, while an external electrical field on the SCPC deactivates the conversion. Stacking different SCPC elements gives a random optical switch for applications in lidar detection and optical telecommunication. Two types of SCPC designs are analyzed and one is chosen and built for testing.