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PhD_Dissertation_KG_Rev2.pdf (20.58 MB)

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OPTICAL SIMULATION AND FABRICATION OF PANCHARATNAM (GEOMETRIC) PHASE DEVICES FROM LIQUID CRYSTALS

Gao, Kun
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3407-912X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1490805847205484

Abstract Details

2017, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Chemical Physics.
Pancharatnam made clear the concept of a phase-only device based on changes in the polarization state of light. A device of this type is sometimes called a circular polarization grating because of the polarization states of interfering light beams used to fabricate it by polarization holography. Here, we will call it a Pancharatnam (geometric) phase device to emphasize the fact that the phase of diffracted light does not have a discontinuous periodic profile but changes continuously. In this dissertation, using simulations and experiments, we have successfully demonstrated a ±40° beam-steering device with >90% diffraction efficiency based on the Pancharatnam phase deflector (PPD) with the dual-twist structure. Unlike the conventional Pancharatnam phase deflector (c-PPD) limited to small diffraction angles, our work demonstrates that a device with a structural periodicity near the wavelength of light is highly efficient at deflecting light to large angles. Also, from a similar fabrication procedure, we have made an ultra-compact non-mechanical zoom lens system based on the Pancharatnam phase lens (PPL) with a low f-number and high efficiency. The wavelength dependence on the image quality is evaluated and shown to be satisfactory from red light to near-infrared machine vision systems. A demonstration device is shown with a 4× zoom ratio at a 633 nm wavelength. The unique characteristic of these devices is made possible through the use of azo-dye photoalignment materials to align a liquid crystal polymer (reactive mesogens). Furthermore, the proposed dual-twist design and fabrication opens the possibility for making a high-efficiency beam-steering device, a lens with an f-number less than 1.0, as well as a wide range of other potential applications in the optical and display industry. The details of simulation, fabrication, and characterization of these devices are shown in this dissertation.
Philip Bos, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Hiroshi Yokoyama, Dr. (Committee Member)
Liang-Chy Chien, Dr. (Committee Member)
Samuel Sprunt, Dr. (Committee Member)
Paul Sampson, Dr. (Committee Member)
247 p.
Materials Science; Optics; Physics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Gao, K. (2017). OPTICAL SIMULATION AND FABRICATION OF PANCHARATNAM (GEOMETRIC) PHASE DEVICES FROM LIQUID CRYSTALS [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1490805847205484

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Gao, Kun. OPTICAL SIMULATION AND FABRICATION OF PANCHARATNAM (GEOMETRIC) PHASE DEVICES FROM LIQUID CRYSTALS. 2017. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1490805847205484.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Gao, Kun. "OPTICAL SIMULATION AND FABRICATION OF PANCHARATNAM (GEOMETRIC) PHASE DEVICES FROM LIQUID CRYSTALS." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1490805847205484

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1490805847205484
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© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License OPTICAL SIMULATION AND FABRICATION OF PANCHARATNAM (GEOMETRIC) PHASE DEVICES FROM LIQUID CRYSTALS by Kun Gao is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.