Abstract
Blue phase liquid crystal Dammann grating is demonstrated as an optical array generator. The phase profile is formed by the alternation of isotropic refractive index and vertical field induced ordinary index. Periodical Dammann grating can generate equal energy distributed optical array. When forked dislocations are introduced, multiple optical vortex beams with different topological charges are generated. This approach supplies a novel design for fast-response optical array generator, which has great potentials in array illumination, beam shaping and optical communications.
Highlights
An optical array generator is such a device that splits an incoming laser beam into an array of many ‘beamlets’ [1]
Due to the wavelength selective Bragg reflection, different color domains exist in different orientated blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) cubic lattices
The profiles are consistent with the patterned electrodes which is caused by external field induced EO tuning of the BPLC
Summary
An optical array generator is such a device that splits an incoming laser beam into an array of many ‘beamlets’ [1]. Among the wide variety of optical array generators, the so-called Dammann grating (DG) [4] is a key approach to uniformly distribute energies among the designed diffraction orders without changing its mode. The realization of BPLC DGs/DVGs make it possible for tunable, low cost and fast switchable optical array generators. Specific periodical and forked electrodes are utilized to drive BPLC to form DGs and DVGs, respectively. They are demonstrated as optical array generators for equal-energy distribution. For BPLC DVGs, a series of OV beams with different topological charges are generated. Advantages such as fast electrical switchability and polarization independence are exhibited
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