Patent
Polymer stabilized paraboloid liquid crystal microlenses array with integrated pancharatnam-berry phase
| العنوان: | Polymer stabilized paraboloid liquid crystal microlenses array with integrated pancharatnam-berry phase |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 12060,513 |
| تاريخ النشر: | August 13, 2024 |
| Appl. No: | 18/073073 |
| Application Filed: | December 01, 2022 |
| مستخلص: | The present invention relates to polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses. The microlenses can be made from a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator. The microlenses can be prepared by spin coating a liquid crystal mixture onto an array including a nickel transmission electron microscope grid. The focal length of the microlens array can be tuned electrically. |
| Inventors: | Jákli, Antal (Kent, OH, US); Perera, W. S. Kelum (Kent, OH, US) |
| Assignees: | KENT STATE UNIVERSITY (Kent, OH, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A composition for making a polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens, the composition comprising a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator, and a chiral ferroelectric nematic material. |
| Claim: | 2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nematic liquid crystal is 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl, the chiral dopant is S-(+)-2-octyl 4-(4-hexyloxybenzoyloxy)benzoate, the reactive monomer is 2-methyl-1,4-phenylene bis(4-(3-(acryloyloxy)propoxy)benzoate, and the photoinitiator is 2,2-dimethoxy-1,2-diphenylethan-1-one. |
| Claim: | 3. The composition of claim 1 , including from about 2 wt. % to about 6 wt. % of the chiral dopant, relative to an overall amount of the composition. |
| Claim: | 4. A method of preparing polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses, the method comprising steps of providing a liquid crystal mixture including a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral dopant, a reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator; applying the liquid crystal mixture to a grid; spin coating the grid having the liquid crystal mixture to thereby form a spin coated assembly; and allowing polymerization of the reactive monomer of the spin coated assembly to thereby prepare the polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlenses. |
| Claim: | 5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the nematic liquid crystal is 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl, the chiral dopant is S-(+)-2-octyl 4-(4-hexyloxybenzoyloxy)benzoate, the reactive monomer is 2-methyl-1,4-phenylene bis(4-(3-(acryloyloxy)propoxy)benzoate, and the photoinitiator is 2,2-dimethoxy-1,2-diphenylethan-1-one. |
| Claim: | 6. The method of claim 4 , the liquid crystal mixture further comprising a chiral ferroelectric nematic material. |
| Claim: | 7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the grid is on a glass substrate. |
| Claim: | 8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the grid is a nickel transmission electron microscope grid. |
| Claim: | 9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of gluing the nickel transmission electron microscope grid to the glass substrate. |
| Claim: | 10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of allowing polymerization includes exposing the spin coated assembly to UV light. |
| Claim: | 11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the liquid crystal mixture includes from about 2 wt. % to about 6 wt. % of the chiral dopant, relative to an overall amount of the liquid crystal mixture. |
| Claim: | 12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is adapted to make a polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens having a tuning field which is reduced by over an order of magnitude compared to a dielectric nematic liquid crystal. |
| Claim: | 13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is adapted to make a polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens having a director which can be switched with an electric field as low as 10 3 V/m. |
| Claim: | 14. A polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens comprising a residue of the composition of claim 1 . |
| Claim: | 15. The polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens of claim 14 , the polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens having a tuning field which is reduced by over an order of magnitude compared to a dielectric nematic liquid crystal. |
| Claim: | 16. The polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens of claim 14 , the polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal microlens having a director which can be switched with an electric field as low as 10 3 V/m. |
| Patent References Cited: | 7238397 July 2007 Iftime 8264639 September 2012 Chien 20160103351 April 2016 Lavrentovich 20230174864 June 2023 Jákli |
| Primary Examiner: | Visconti, Geraldina |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | RENNER KENNER GREIVE BOBAK TAYLOR & WEBER |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.12060513 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |