CYCLOIDAL DIFFRACTIVE WAVEPLATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

摘要

A liquid crystal diffractive waveplate comprising first and second substrate layers, a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrate layers, and transparent positive and negative electrodes on the first substrate layer. The liquid crystal layer has a diffractive state in which the orientation of the optical axes of the liquid crystal. molecules varies across a plane of the waveplate and a non- diffractivenon-diffractive state in which the optical axes of the liquid crystal molecules are all orientated in the same direction in the plane of the waveplate. The electrodes are arranged in an alternating series, such that when an electric voltage is applied to the electrodes an electric field is produced in the plane of the waveplate and the liquid crystal layer is switched from the diffractive state to the nondiffractivenon-diffractive state.