Electro-optical wide-angle beam deflection based on transversal-field-induced refractive index inhomogeneity in a liquid crystal layer

Boris Apter; Eldad Bahat-Treidel; Uzi Efron

doi:10.1117/12.618239

12 September 2005 Electro-optical wide-angle beam deflection based on transversal-field-induced refractive inhomogeneity in a liquid crystal layer

Boris Apter, Eldad Bahat-Treidel, Uzi Efron

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Proceedings Volume 5892, Free-Space Laser Communications V; 58921B (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618239
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A 3-electrode LC beam deflector, consisting of a glass substrate with two transparent lateral electrodes and a third transparent grounded electrode, placed at the opposite glass substrate was designed and fabricated. A differential voltage, corresponding to the required phase step change, was applied to the lateral electrodes of this beam deflector. The gap between the glass substrates was filled with a nematic liquid crystal mixture. It was shown, that the large refractive index gradient generated by the field between the two lateral electrodes, resulted in the deflection of the incident optical beam with deflection angles as large as 25^o, at a high deflection efficiency of approximately 98%. A theoretical analysis based on both ray tracing and far-field diffraction calculations in such a 3-electrode LC cell configuration, confirmed the above experimental results. The advantages of this type of LC deflector are the large deflection angle attainable as well as the continuous deflection operation. The main drawbacks are the difficulties in focusing the beam into the narrow region of the refractive index gradient at the electrode gap, as well as the significant divergence of the deflected optical beam.

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Boris Apter, Eldad Bahat-Treidel, and Uzi Efron "Electro-optical wide-angle beam deflection based on transversal-field-induced refractive inhomogeneity in a liquid crystal layer", Proc. SPIE 5892, Free-Space Laser Communications V, 58921B (12 September 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618239

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KEYWORDS

Liquid crystals

Electrodes

Refractive index

Glasses

Ray tracing

CCD cameras

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