Patterned polarization converter

摘要

The present invention provides a patterned polarization converter having multiple domains that can be used to convert input linear polarized light to output light with spatially varying polarization states, including domains that produce linearly polarized light and domains that produce circular polarized light based on the patterning of the domains. A patterned polarization converter having multiple domains may be used in a polarization sensor application capable of detecting the polarization state of input light. The present invention further provides patterned radial and azimuthal polarization converters, which have utility in applications such as optical tweezers. Additionally, patterned polarization converters may be used to fabricate more patterned polarization converters having the same pattern using one-step photoalignment to copy the pattern of an existing patterned polarization converter to an unpatterned photoalignment layer.

主权项

1. A system for fabricating spatially-varying liquid crystal alignment structures via one-step photoalignment, the system comprising:
a light source, configured to generate linearly-polarized light having a wavelength corresponding to a photoalignment material; a template patterned polarization converter, having a plurality of retardation domains in a spatially-varying configuration, configured to convert linearly polarized light from the light source to light having a plurality of polarization states corresponding to the plurality of spatially-varying retardation domains, wherein the template patterned polarization converter comprises two wave plates, including:
a uniform quarter wave plate with optical axis oriented at +45° or −45° relative to the linearly polarized light from the light source, anda patterned quarter wave plate having the plurality of spatially-varying retardation domains; and a target device, comprising a substrate and a photoalignment layer deposited on the substrate, the photoalignment layer being configured to be exposed to the light having the plurality of polarization states and being made of the photoalignment material; wherein, after exposure, the target device is configured to provide a further patterned quarter wave plate having the same plurality of spatially-varying retardation domains as the patterned quarter wave plate of the template patterned polarization converter.