Low voltage liquid crystal microlens array based on polyvinyl alcohol convex induced vertical alignment

ABSTRACT

In this study, low driving voltage liquid crystal microlens array (LCMLA) based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) convex array was fabricated by facile method. The PVA convex array served as a vertical alignment layer led to formation of hybrid-aligned LC layer with concentric nonuniform distribution refractive index in planar LC cell, conducive to lens usage. The virtual focal length of LCMLA was short during the initial state. At voltages from 0 to 0.6 V_rms, the focal length was tuned from – 4.5 cm to ∞. The low surface tension of the surface outside the lens unit reduces the anchoring force of LC which led to very low driving voltage. In sum, the proposed LCMLA possessed low power consumption, compact structure and simple fabrication, uniform structure in large scale, conducive to future development and applications of high-quality diffusers, image processing and displays.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Liquid crystal microlens array
• low voltage
• hybrid-aligned
• tunable focal length
• diffusers

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant No. 61805066) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019 M 652168). We acknowledge critical and quantity of testing work (Figure 4) supported by Beijing Zhongkebaice Technology Service Co., Ltd.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2019 M 652168]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [61805066].