Liquid Crystal Photonics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Engineering
Abstract
Liquid crystal devices have come of age, having fulfilled their promise of several decades ago by increasingly dominating the market for displays. The industry has become global and the manufacturing is mostly in the Far East. This is not the end, but the beginning and UK scientists and engineers that have played a distinguished role in these developments must work with the global industry and develop strategies that enable us to remain engaged.We note that innovation continues rapidly and that the massive investment in this technology has produced a remarkable diversity of materials and electro-optic phenomena that are now starting to be applied in photonic devices in communications and the biosciences.The title Liquid Crystal Photonics is used to suggest that opto-electronics and displays should be embraced under one heading, reliant as they are on closely related optical functionality in similar materials. The strategic importance of phase-only real time holography by liquid crystal components is emerging into the marketplace in both optical communications and in displays. In displays the changes are probably going to be disruptive, producing highly miniature micro projectors with flexible control of all image attributes. Initially these are destined for 'micro projectors' for mobile phones etc., but will ultimately move to rear projection high definition TV. In optical communications the integration of several functions into software controlled modules matches closely the requirements of the now crucial metropolitan area network. Flexible, compact and low cost optical routers and add-drop-multiplexers for wavelength division (WDM) multiplexed systems may become a common sight in urban areas. The deep-sub-micron silicon CMOS technology that is used for liquid crystal over silicon (LCOS) backplanes is now mass producing complex low-cost integrated circuits with a minimum feature size below 100nm. We can therefore now electrically address liquid crystals using nano structure electrodes to open up applications requiring sub-wavelength photonic crystal structures (e.g. exhibiting electrically switchable surface alignment of liquid crystals, form birefringence and optical band gaps). As in the case of 'conventional' phase-only holography, the unique advantages resulting from the use of silicon CMOS backplanes are programmability and software control. It may be possible to enhance the already remarkable electro-optic properties of liquid crystals, enabling such properties as negative refractive index, programmable scattering and ultra-high-speed switching to be obtained.In general, liquid crystals respond dramatically to nano structures in the range from tens to hundreds of nanometres with or without electrical fields, e.g. liquid crystal director fields are aligned in contact with surface topography in this range. The interactions that occur between free particles embedded in nematic liquid crystals (due to both elastic interactions and Casimir interactions) are important issues in polymer based nano-composite materials and director deformations on this scale are important in structured dielectrics, semiconductors and conductors in the advance of polymer electronics. These are substantial areas of scientific and technological interest where the infra structure of liquid science and technology (that has been driven by the display industry) will be a major factor in future developments.
Organisations
- University of Cambridge (Lead Research Organisation)
- Beihang University (Collaboration)
- National Chiao Tung University (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Michigan (Collaboration)
- Nanjing University (NJU) (Collaboration)
- Tsinghua University China (Collaboration)
- United States Air Force (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Darmstadt (Collaboration)
- Beijing Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- Alps Electric (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Ericsson (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Owlstone Medical (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Dow Corning Ltd (UK) (Project Partner)
Publications
Georgiou A
(2008)
Liquid crystal over silicon device characteristics for holographic projection of high-definition television images.
in Applied optics
Moore J
(2008)
The Silicon Backplane Design for an LCOS Polarization-Insensitive Phase Hologram SLM
in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
Georgiou A
(2008)
Aspects of hologram calculation for video frames
in Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics
Georgiou A
(2008)
An algorithm for computing spot-generating holograms
in Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics
Kelleher E
(2009)
Nanosecond-pulse fiber lasers mode-locked with nanotubes
in Applied Physics Letters
Xu H
(2009)
Measurement of Dielectric Anisotropy of Some Liquid Crystals for Microwave Applications
in Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals
Hasan T
(2009)
Nanotube-Polymer Composites for Ultrafast Photonics
in Advanced Materials
H.-Y. Chen R
(2009)
Computer generated hologram from point cloud using graphics processor
in Applied Optics
Katsounaros A
(2009)
Optically transparent ultra-wideband antenna
in Electronics Letters
| Description | Summary of key Findings • New concept of Coarse Integral Holography, which presented large size and large viewing angle 3D images with less than 10% of the computation load. The system set up and realisation of the demonstrator, both in state and in animation, show significant progress in this field. The know-how in how to construct and generate holographic 3D images will have long term impact on both the research and application in this field. • A number of smectic A radiation control demonstrators for printed electronics and built environment. These have demonstrated tangible benefits in energy saving, retro-fitting capability, and long term reliability for construction industry and led to a technology transfer from the group for commercialisation. • Identification of the critical areas for further research into WSS based on phase-only LCOS, namely crosstalk reduction, both transient and steady state, and switching speed. Our approach to solutions to these issues can be taken up by the manufacturers of these modules. A proof-of-concept LCOS WSS demonstrator built with the support of this Grant has attracted strong interest from all the top WSS manufacturers in the world, for both joint development and business exploitation. • New results on microwave dielectric anisotropy of high birefringence liquid crystals and blends with nanoparticles, including the know-how relating to the fabrication of liquid crystal/carbon nanostructure blends. This could be used by manufacturers of tuneable RF components, such as phase-shifters, and antennas. • Know-how relating to phase-only hologram design for phase-only LCOS devices used in high quality projection display, beam shaping and optical interconnects. This can be used in Head-Up Display (HUD), Precision laser micromachining, and in Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS) for ROADMs. This has been partially disseminated on the P&S group's web-site. • Understanding of artefacts arising from the pixellated nature of the LCOS device in phase-only projection display and optical interconnect. We have designed primitive features for the next generation of devices. This can be used by manufacturers of HUD and WSS based on this device for next-generation products. • 49 publications in peer reviewed journals; plus 11 patents and 34 conference presentations including several invited keynote and plenary;. |
| Exploitation Route | The work led to a series of research activities in the field of large size large viewing angle 3D holographic displays, including the development of a new concept of Coarse Integral Holography (CIH) as jointly patented with Disney Research and reported at SID 2013, as well as a CAPE project COIN3D (1 April 2012 - 31 March 2013) which is now being continued. It has also led a industrial project to work on 3D holographic memory from Fujian Opto (1 April 2010 - 31 March 2013) Alps Electric Japan is developing a Hologram Projector based on the work, and is aiming to start mass production in early 2014. Earlier work in the group on the Smectic A bistable display led to a research collaboration with Dow Corning, through which new types of Semectic A materials with high reliability have been developed under a CAPE project SiLC. A TSB award (Picture Window, PICWIN) to construct a demonstrator with hand laminated Smectic A cells for energy efficient buildings led from this garnt. A number of smectic A radiation control demonstrators for printed electronics and built environment. These have demonstrated tangible benefits in energy saving, retro-fitting capability, and long term reliability for construction industry and led to a technology transfer from the group for commercialisation. The Head-Up Display for automotive use, which was initiated under CAPE and supported by work on the Platform Grant, will be mass produced from next year ( via one of our industrial partners- confidential info). Pathfinder Award from Cambridge Enterprise to prepare a business plan and has led to a spin-off company, ROADMap Systems Ltd, being formed. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Description | start up companies: Roadmap Systems Ltd Camoptics Ltd |
| First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Construction,Healthcare,Transport |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | EPSRC |
| Amount | £1,300,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Finisar |
| Amount | £60,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Finisar |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | |
| Description | Finisar |
| Amount | £60,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Finisar |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | |
| Description | Fujian Opto |
| Amount | £258,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Fujian Hongyang Opto-Electronics Technology |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | China |
| Start | |
| Description | Fujian Opto |
| Amount | £258,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Fujian Hongyang Opto-Electronics Technology |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | China |
| Start | |
| Description | Huawei |
| Amount | £1,000,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Huawei Technologies |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | China |
| Start | |
| Description | Huawei |
| Amount | £1,000,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Huawei Technologies |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | China |
| Start | |
| Description | STFC |
| Amount | £382,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Samsung |
| Amount | £178,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Samsung |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Start | |
| Description | Samsung |
| Amount | £178,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Samsung |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Start | |
| Description | TSB |
| Amount | £284,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Two Trees collaboration |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Two Trees Photonics |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Two Trees collaboration |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Two Trees Photonics |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Academic Collaboration |
| Organisation | Beihang University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have also been actively engaging with our Chinese academic collaborators. We exchanged two MoUs with Tsinghua and Nanjing Universities, respectively. As a result, the 1st Tsinghua-Cambridge Engineering Forum initiated jointly with Prof Zheng You at Tsinghua was held at Beijing in April 2013. We have also collaborated with Prof Ziwei Zhou and Prof Yongtian Wang of Beijing Institute of Technology in China. Prof Xiaoyu Jiang from their group spent one year (2009-10) with us, developed a highly efficient hologram calculation software package, which has been available on the group's web page free of charge since Oct 2010 and resulted in many downloads worldwide. A PhD student from their group also visited the group for six months and developed a system to demonstrate holographic 3D effect. This work further interested Prof Weiping Li from Behang University in Beijing, who spent six months in the group using it to study surface corrosions. In parallel, we have developed a collaboration with Prof Rong Zhang and Prof Yi Shi of Nanjing University in China, resulted two visits of their PhD students to our group. Our work on holographic projection has led to a collaboration with the group of Professor Yi-Hsin Lin of the National Chiao Tung University,Taiwan, which has resulted in two visits from Taiwanese PhD students to Cambridge. |
| Description | Academic Collaboration |
| Organisation | Beijing Institute of Technology |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have also been actively engaging with our Chinese academic collaborators. We exchanged two MoUs with Tsinghua and Nanjing Universities, respectively. As a result, the 1st Tsinghua-Cambridge Engineering Forum initiated jointly with Prof Zheng You at Tsinghua was held at Beijing in April 2013. We have also collaborated with Prof Ziwei Zhou and Prof Yongtian Wang of Beijing Institute of Technology in China. Prof Xiaoyu Jiang from their group spent one year (2009-10) with us, developed a highly efficient hologram calculation software package, which has been available on the group's web page free of charge since Oct 2010 and resulted in many downloads worldwide. A PhD student from their group also visited the group for six months and developed a system to demonstrate holographic 3D effect. This work further interested Prof Weiping Li from Behang University in Beijing, who spent six months in the group using it to study surface corrosions. In parallel, we have developed a collaboration with Prof Rong Zhang and Prof Yi Shi of Nanjing University in China, resulted two visits of their PhD students to our group. Our work on holographic projection has led to a collaboration with the group of Professor Yi-Hsin Lin of the National Chiao Tung University,Taiwan, which has resulted in two visits from Taiwanese PhD students to Cambridge. |
| Description | Academic Collaboration |
| Organisation | Nanjing University (NJU) |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have also been actively engaging with our Chinese academic collaborators. We exchanged two MoUs with Tsinghua and Nanjing Universities, respectively. As a result, the 1st Tsinghua-Cambridge Engineering Forum initiated jointly with Prof Zheng You at Tsinghua was held at Beijing in April 2013. We have also collaborated with Prof Ziwei Zhou and Prof Yongtian Wang of Beijing Institute of Technology in China. Prof Xiaoyu Jiang from their group spent one year (2009-10) with us, developed a highly efficient hologram calculation software package, which has been available on the group's web page free of charge since Oct 2010 and resulted in many downloads worldwide. A PhD student from their group also visited the group for six months and developed a system to demonstrate holographic 3D effect. This work further interested Prof Weiping Li from Behang University in Beijing, who spent six months in the group using it to study surface corrosions. In parallel, we have developed a collaboration with Prof Rong Zhang and Prof Yi Shi of Nanjing University in China, resulted two visits of their PhD students to our group. Our work on holographic projection has led to a collaboration with the group of Professor Yi-Hsin Lin of the National Chiao Tung University,Taiwan, which has resulted in two visits from Taiwanese PhD students to Cambridge. |
| Description | Academic Collaboration |
| Organisation | National Chiao Tung University |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have also been actively engaging with our Chinese academic collaborators. We exchanged two MoUs with Tsinghua and Nanjing Universities, respectively. As a result, the 1st Tsinghua-Cambridge Engineering Forum initiated jointly with Prof Zheng You at Tsinghua was held at Beijing in April 2013. We have also collaborated with Prof Ziwei Zhou and Prof Yongtian Wang of Beijing Institute of Technology in China. Prof Xiaoyu Jiang from their group spent one year (2009-10) with us, developed a highly efficient hologram calculation software package, which has been available on the group's web page free of charge since Oct 2010 and resulted in many downloads worldwide. A PhD student from their group also visited the group for six months and developed a system to demonstrate holographic 3D effect. This work further interested Prof Weiping Li from Behang University in Beijing, who spent six months in the group using it to study surface corrosions. In parallel, we have developed a collaboration with Prof Rong Zhang and Prof Yi Shi of Nanjing University in China, resulted two visits of their PhD students to our group. Our work on holographic projection has led to a collaboration with the group of Professor Yi-Hsin Lin of the National Chiao Tung University,Taiwan, which has resulted in two visits from Taiwanese PhD students to Cambridge. |
| Description | Academic Collaboration |
| Organisation | Tsinghua University China |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have also been actively engaging with our Chinese academic collaborators. We exchanged two MoUs with Tsinghua and Nanjing Universities, respectively. As a result, the 1st Tsinghua-Cambridge Engineering Forum initiated jointly with Prof Zheng You at Tsinghua was held at Beijing in April 2013. We have also collaborated with Prof Ziwei Zhou and Prof Yongtian Wang of Beijing Institute of Technology in China. Prof Xiaoyu Jiang from their group spent one year (2009-10) with us, developed a highly efficient hologram calculation software package, which has been available on the group's web page free of charge since Oct 2010 and resulted in many downloads worldwide. A PhD student from their group also visited the group for six months and developed a system to demonstrate holographic 3D effect. This work further interested Prof Weiping Li from Behang University in Beijing, who spent six months in the group using it to study surface corrosions. In parallel, we have developed a collaboration with Prof Rong Zhang and Prof Yi Shi of Nanjing University in China, resulted two visits of their PhD students to our group. Our work on holographic projection has led to a collaboration with the group of Professor Yi-Hsin Lin of the National Chiao Tung University,Taiwan, which has resulted in two visits from Taiwanese PhD students to Cambridge. |
| Description | Academic Collaborations |
| Organisation | Technical University of Darmstadt |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our work in Liquid Crystal Photonics has engaged us with research groups, both UK and worldwide, interested in applying this technology. We have been working with A Fernandez (UCL), and S Day (UCL) to prepare a proposal for EPSRC on the engineering of high resolution LCOS devices for 3D display and compact WSS switching modules for telecoms. Our expertise in the doping of liquid crystal media with nanoparticles and microwave dielectric measurements on the composite system has led to collaborative work with the Technische Universitat Darmstadt (TUD) in Germany. This work was described in an editorial in the May 13th, 2010 issue of Electronics Letters called ?A fluid approach to microwaves?. This expertise with microwave measurements also led to a visit by Dean Evans and Gary Cook from USAF Wright-Patterson research lab in March 2011. They spent three days with us harvesting nanoparticles for liquid crystal composites for our tests. The group of Dr David Blaau, at the University of Michigan, contacted us to enquire about the possibility of using LCOS to communicate with ultracompact computing engines. |
| Description | Academic Collaborations |
| Organisation | United States Air Force |
| Department | USAF Wright-Patterson Research Lab |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Our work in Liquid Crystal Photonics has engaged us with research groups, both UK and worldwide, interested in applying this technology. We have been working with A Fernandez (UCL), and S Day (UCL) to prepare a proposal for EPSRC on the engineering of high resolution LCOS devices for 3D display and compact WSS switching modules for telecoms. Our expertise in the doping of liquid crystal media with nanoparticles and microwave dielectric measurements on the composite system has led to collaborative work with the Technische Universitat Darmstadt (TUD) in Germany. This work was described in an editorial in the May 13th, 2010 issue of Electronics Letters called ?A fluid approach to microwaves?. This expertise with microwave measurements also led to a visit by Dean Evans and Gary Cook from USAF Wright-Patterson research lab in March 2011. They spent three days with us harvesting nanoparticles for liquid crystal composites for our tests. The group of Dr David Blaau, at the University of Michigan, contacted us to enquire about the possibility of using LCOS to communicate with ultracompact computing engines. |
| Description | Academic Collaborations |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our work in Liquid Crystal Photonics has engaged us with research groups, both UK and worldwide, interested in applying this technology. We have been working with A Fernandez (UCL), and S Day (UCL) to prepare a proposal for EPSRC on the engineering of high resolution LCOS devices for 3D display and compact WSS switching modules for telecoms. Our expertise in the doping of liquid crystal media with nanoparticles and microwave dielectric measurements on the composite system has led to collaborative work with the Technische Universitat Darmstadt (TUD) in Germany. This work was described in an editorial in the May 13th, 2010 issue of Electronics Letters called ?A fluid approach to microwaves?. This expertise with microwave measurements also led to a visit by Dean Evans and Gary Cook from USAF Wright-Patterson research lab in March 2011. They spent three days with us harvesting nanoparticles for liquid crystal composites for our tests. The group of Dr David Blaau, at the University of Michigan, contacted us to enquire about the possibility of using LCOS to communicate with ultracompact computing engines. |
| Description | Academic Collaborations |
| Organisation | University of Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our work in Liquid Crystal Photonics has engaged us with research groups, both UK and worldwide, interested in applying this technology. We have been working with A Fernandez (UCL), and S Day (UCL) to prepare a proposal for EPSRC on the engineering of high resolution LCOS devices for 3D display and compact WSS switching modules for telecoms. Our expertise in the doping of liquid crystal media with nanoparticles and microwave dielectric measurements on the composite system has led to collaborative work with the Technische Universitat Darmstadt (TUD) in Germany. This work was described in an editorial in the May 13th, 2010 issue of Electronics Letters called ?A fluid approach to microwaves?. This expertise with microwave measurements also led to a visit by Dean Evans and Gary Cook from USAF Wright-Patterson research lab in March 2011. They spent three days with us harvesting nanoparticles for liquid crystal composites for our tests. The group of Dr David Blaau, at the University of Michigan, contacted us to enquire about the possibility of using LCOS to communicate with ultracompact computing engines. |
| Title | ADDRESSING ARRANGEMENT |
| Description | An optical device having a matrix arrangement of pixels defined by row electrodes and column electrodes, the row and column electrodes sandwiching a defined Sm A liquid crystal composition, the device further comprising drive circuitry connected to drive the row and column electrodes with alternating drive voltages, and addressing circuitry arranged to select pixels uses a one- third addressing scheme. |
| IP Reference | WO2013038150 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | APPARATUS AND METHODS |
| Description | We describe a LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) telecommunications light beam routing device, the device comprising: an optical input; a plurality of optical outputs; a LCOS spatial light modulator (SLM) in an optical path between said input and said output, for displaying a kinoform; a data processor, coupled to said SLM, configured to provide kinoform data for displaying said kinoform on said SLM; wherein said kinoform data defines a kinoform which routes a beam from said optical input to a selected said optical output; wherein said data processor is configured to input routing data defining said selected optical output and to calculate said kinoform data for routing said beam responsive to said routing data; and wherein said data processor is configured to calculate said kinoform data by: determining an initial phase pattern for said kinoform; calculating a replay field of said phase pattern; modifying an amplitude component of said replay field to represent a target replay field for said beam routing, retaining a phase component of said replay field to provide an updated replay field; performing a space-frequency transform on said updated replay field to determine an updated phase pattern for said kinoform; and repeating said calculating and updating of said replay field and said performing of said space-frequency transform until said kinoform for display is determined; and outputting said kinoform data for display on said LCOS SLM. |
| IP Reference | WO2012110811 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | DRIVER CIRCUIT |
| Description | In a driver for a smeetic-A composition liquid crystal panel, the driver forms a resonant circuit operable to oscillate at resonant frequency for ordering the smeetic-A liquid crystal composition of the panel. |
| IP Reference | WO2013038152 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | OPTICAL BEAM ROUTING APPARATUS AND METHODS |
| Description | This invention relates to methods and apparatus for routing light beams in telecommunications devices using holographic techniques, in particular by displaying kinoforms on LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) devices. Thus we describe optical beam routing apparatus comprising: at least one optical input to receive an input beam; a plurality of optical outputs; a spatial light modulator (SLM) on an optical path between said optical input and said optical outputs; and a driver for said SLM to display a kinoform on said SLM to diffract said input beam into an output beam comprising a plurality of diffraction orders, wherein a routed one of said diffraction orders is directed to at least one selected said optical output; wherein said apparatus is configured to modify a wavefront of said output beam to reduce a coupling of said output beam into said selected optical output; and wherein said kinoform is adapted to compensate for said wavefront modification to compensate for said reduced coupling and thereby to reduce a coupling of other diffracted light from said input beam into others of said optical outputs than said at least one selected optical output. |
| IP Reference | WO2012123715 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | OPTICAL BEAM STEERING |
| Description | The invention relates to optical beam steering. There is described an optical beam steering apparatus, comprising: a splitter arranged to split an optical beam into at least a first part having a first polarisation and a second part having a second polarisation, said first and second polarisations being substantially mutually orthogonal; a first liquid crystal device region arranged to receive said first part and to have director orientation substantially aligned to said first polarisation; and a second liquid crystal device region arranged to receive said second part and to have director orientation substantially aligned to said second polarisation. |
| IP Reference | WO2010055350 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2010 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | OPTICAL DEVICE |
| Description | In a method of operating a liquid crystal device having a liquid crystal composition with smectic-A properties, a first waveform is applied to optically clear the device so that it is substantially transparent to visible Light and a second waveform is applied to disorder the material of the liquid crystal composition to afford a strongly light-scattering state. The first waveform has a higher frequency than the second waveform, and the method comprises applying a modified waveform to partially scatter at least a portion of the device from the fully-cleared state. |
| IP Reference | WO2013038149 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | OPTICAL DEVICE |
| Description | In a method of operating a liquid crystal device having a liquid crystal composition with smectic-A properties, a first waveform is applied to optically clear the device so that it is substantially transparent to visible light and a second waveform is applied to disorder the material of the liquid crystal composition to afford a strongly light-scattering state. The first waveform has a higher frequency than the second, waveform, and the method comprises applying a modified waveform to partially clear at least a portion of the device from the light-scattering state |
| IP Reference | WO2013038148 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | OPTICAL DEVICE AND METHODS |
| Description | We describe methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. A method of manipulating an optical signal comprises providing a device (100 ) comprising a layer (106 ) of blue phase liquid crystal in the path of the optical signal; and applying a dynamically varying spatial pattern of voltages across the layer (106 ) of blue phase liquid crystal, thereby causing the refractive index of the layer (106 ) of blue phase liquid crystal to vary according the dynamically varying spatial pattern. |
| IP Reference | WO2013117903 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | OPTICALLY ADDRESSABLE SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR DIVIDED INTO PLURALITY OF SEGMENTS, AND HOLOGRAPHIC THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD USING THE LIGHT MODULATOR |
| Description | Provided are an optically addressable spatial light modulator (OASLM) divided into a plurality of segments, and an apparatus and method for displaying a holographic three-dimensional (3D) image using the OASLM. The holographic 3D image display apparatus includes a first light source which emits a write beam, an electric addressable spatial light modulator (EASLM) which modulates the write beam emitted from the first light source according to hologram information regarding a 3D image, a second light source which emits a read beam, an OASLM which receives the write beam modulated by the EASLM and modulates the read beam emitted from the second light source according to hologram information included in the modulated write beam, a scanning optical unit which projects the write beam modulated by the EASLM onto the OASLM, and a Fourier lens which focuses the read beam modulated by the OASLM onto a predetermined space to form the 3D image. |
| IP Reference | US2014104664 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | SMECTIC A COMPOSITIONS FOR USE IN OPTICAL DEVICES |
| Description | A liquid crystal smectic A composition that can be switched by the application of different electric fields across it between a first stable state (left hand block in Fig 4) and at least one second stable state (right hand block in Fig 4) in which the composition is less ordered than in the first state. The radiation transmission properties of the first and second states are different. The composition comprises: (A) a liquid crystal material that has a positive dielectric anisotropy and that is a uniformly aligned smectic A structure when in the first state; (B) an ionic dopant giving a negative conductivity anisotropy in the liquid crystal material so that it is capable of disrupting the smectic A structure of the first state when subject to an electric field that causes the dopant to migrate through the composition, thereby causing the composition to switch into said at least one second state, and (C) optically anisotropic pigment particles having positive dielectric anisotropy dispersed in the composition, the largest dimension of the pigment particles being in the range of 10nm to 1 µm. The composition, when in the first relatively stable state, is capable of undergoing smectic dynamic scattering due to electro-hydrodynamic instability under the influence of a sufficiently low frequency AC field, thereby disordering the liquid crystals and the pigment particles and thereby discouraging the pigment particles from aggregating together. The composition is suitable for use in displays and is especially resistant to degradation by ambient light and so can be used in outside applications. |
| IP Reference | WO2012095627 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | No |
| Title | SmA Formulation |
| Description | SMa formulation paptent jointly with Dow Corning ( Siloxane SMAs) |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | |
| Licensed | No |