Abstract
In this work, we describe a new reversible photoalignment effect for the director in nematic liquid crystals that provides an approach for the creation of lenses whose optical power can be recorded and erased. The possibility of creating a rewritable lens has very important practical implications, for example, in the ophthalmic lens industry. A rewritable ophthalmic lens could be a convenient solution for patients whose compensation needs change over time due to age-related physiological changes, such as the onset and progression of presbyopia. Using rewritable lenses, small lens power corrections could be implemented through a rewriting procedure on the mounted lens without resurfacing or manufacturing and mounting a new lens. More generally, this new effect multiple potential applications in the creation of rewritable optical systems, such as reconfigurable optical networks, index-tunable antireflective coatings and optically rewritable phase gratings.
Highlights
Adaptive optical elements whose refractive state can be changed are of great interest in many industrial and scientific applications
We describe a new reversible photoalignment effect of the director of a nematic liquid crystal mixture in homogeneous planar cells that provides an approach for the creation of rewritable gradient index (GRIN) lenses that can be recorded and erased
With some commercial liquid crystal mixtures, the creation of rewritable GRIN lenses is possible, where the power is written through exposure to unpolarized UV light and thermally erased, allowing for a further rewriting process
Summary
Adaptive optical elements whose refractive state can be changed are of great interest in many industrial and scientific applications. A thin slab of material with thickness d and a refractive index distribution n(x, y) has an optical power specified by the dioptric power matrix1, , given by. The liquid crystal anisotropy permits the easy creation of refractive index profiles in a plano-parallel cell (a GRIN lens) through local director orientation. Current adaptive liquid crystal GRIN lenses require continuous power consumption to maintain the refractive state. We describe a new reversible photoalignment effect of the director of a nematic liquid crystal mixture in homogeneous planar cells that provides an approach for the creation of rewritable GRIN lenses that can be recorded and erased. With some commercial liquid crystal mixtures, the creation of rewritable GRIN lenses is possible, where the power is written through exposure to unpolarized UV light and thermally erased, allowing for a further rewriting process. Stock lenses could be manufactured such that the final prescription could be written once the lens is glazed and ready for mounting
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