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Electrically tunable Fresnel zone plate with fast response using alternating hybrid-aligned and vertical-aligned nematic liquid crystals.

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Title: Electrically tunable Fresnel zone plate with fast response using alternating hybrid-aligned and vertical-aligned nematic liquid crystals.
Authors: Xu, Miao1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Haoran1 (AUTHOR), Fang, Liang1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Wenqiang1 (AUTHOR), Lu, Hongbo1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Zi1 (AUTHOR) wangzi@hfut.edu.cn
Source: Liquid Crystals. Sep2025, Vol. 52 Issue 12, p1163-1173. 11p.
Subjects: Nematic liquid crystals, Fresnel diffraction, Optical diffraction, Photolithography, Liquid crystals, Optical communications
Abstract: A Fresnel zone plate (FZP) with tunable diffraction efficiency and fast response is highly demand in optical communication. In this paper, a high-diffraction and fast-response liquid crystal Fresnel zone plate (LCFZP) based on alternating hybrid-aligned nematic liquid crystal (H-NLC) and vertical-aligned nematic liquid crystal (V-NLC) configurations is demonstrated. Such configuration of LCFZP lies in preparing patterned alignment layers using alternating polyimide (PI∥) and CYTOP through photolithography and coating techniques. A photomask, where odd rings are opaque (transmissive) and even rings are transmissive (opaque), enables the fabrication of a positive (negative) LCFZP, in which the odd (even) rings are in the H-NLC configuration and the even (odd) rings are in the V-NLC configuration. Under crossed polarisers, this configuration results in the odd (even) rings being transmissive and the even (odd) rings being opaque. The resulting PLCFZP achieves a maximum diffraction efficiency of ~35.2%, with a response time of ~2.12 ms. The NLCFZP exhibits a maximum diffraction efficiency of ~36.7%, with a response time of ~2.15 ms. Both LCFZPs' diffraction efficiencies are close to the theoretical value of 40.5%. The rapid dynamic response of the LCFZPs can be attributed to the H-NLC configuration incorporated in the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
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Abstract:A Fresnel zone plate (FZP) with tunable diffraction efficiency and fast response is highly demand in optical communication. In this paper, a high-diffraction and fast-response liquid crystal Fresnel zone plate (LCFZP) based on alternating hybrid-aligned nematic liquid crystal (H-NLC) and vertical-aligned nematic liquid crystal (V-NLC) configurations is demonstrated. Such configuration of LCFZP lies in preparing patterned alignment layers using alternating polyimide (PI∥) and CYTOP through photolithography and coating techniques. A photomask, where odd rings are opaque (transmissive) and even rings are transmissive (opaque), enables the fabrication of a positive (negative) LCFZP, in which the odd (even) rings are in the H-NLC configuration and the even (odd) rings are in the V-NLC configuration. Under crossed polarisers, this configuration results in the odd (even) rings being transmissive and the even (odd) rings being opaque. The resulting PLCFZP achieves a maximum diffraction efficiency of ~35.2%, with a response time of ~2.12 ms. The NLCFZP exhibits a maximum diffraction efficiency of ~36.7%, with a response time of ~2.15 ms. Both LCFZPs' diffraction efficiencies are close to the theoretical value of 40.5%. The rapid dynamic response of the LCFZPs can be attributed to the H-NLC configuration incorporated in the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:02678292
DOI:10.1080/02678292.2025.2593856