Planar optics with patterned chiral liquid crystals

Recent progress in Pancharatnam–Berry phase optical elements and the applications for virtual/augmented realities

“…In addition to transmission-type de ector, a re ective polarization volume grating (RPVG) [35,47], which incor-porates a higher degree of twist along z-axis (i.e., much smaller pz, as shown in Fig. 13(a)) can be con gured as well.…”

Circularly-polarized, large-angle reflective deflectors based on periodically patterned cholesteric liquid crystals

“…In the previous study, we performed patterned photoalignment based on maskless polarization lithography for device fabrication [6][7][8][9]. In maskless polarization lithogra-phy, a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector is used as an electronic mask and its output is projected on the sample after controlling its polarization; the photoalignment layer sets its orientational easy axis according to the polarization of the illuninated light.…”

“…We have previously shown that a re ective de ection element can be fabricated by making the helix phase vary linearly along a single direction [6]. However, the angle of de ection was only 0.45°in the previous study, because of limitations in the patterning resolution of helix phase.…”

“…While metasurfaces are viewed as a platform that can eventually replace conventional, bulky optics, re ective metasurface elements are often *Corresponding Author: Hiroyuki Yoshida: Division of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan and PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan, E-mail: yoshida@eei.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp Junji Kobashi, Yoshinori Mohri: Division of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan Masanori Ozaki: Division of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan, E-mail: ozaki@eei.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp opaque, limiting their usability [4,5]. Recently, we have reported re ection-type, circular-polarization sensitive planar optical elements based on cholesteric liquid crystals (ChLCs) [6][7][8][9]. ChLC is a LC phase in which rod-shaped molecules spontaneously form a helical structure, and shows Bragg re ection over a speci c wavelength range for circularly polarized light having the same helicity as the sense of the helical structure [10].…”

Stretchable, flexible, and adherable polarization volume grating film for waveguide‐based augmented reality displays

“…Recent progresses in liquid‐crystal polarization volume grating (PVG) provide more possibility in waveguide‐based AR displays . Compared with conventional volume gratings used in AR devices, such as holographic volume gratings, PVGs can achieve nearly 100% first‐order efficiency at a very large diffraction angle, and moreover, they only respond to certain circularly polarized light.…”