Liquid-crystal-based architecture actuated by only configurating the phase difference of two signal-voltages for constructing featured light-fields

An approach for constructing some featured light-fields utilizing a type of liquid-crystal-based architecture (LCA), which can be efficiently actuated and adjusted through only configurating the phase difference (PD) of two signal-voltages loaded directly over a couple of patterned electrodes of the LCA, is proposed. After introducing a dual-layer patterned electrode (DPE) into the microcavity completely filled by a nematic LC material with a thickness of less than 20μm, the DPE-LCA architecture is shaped effectively. Several featured light-field responses derived from executing a manipulating strategy for functioning the DPE-LCA includes: (1) a basic near-field rectangular dot matrix; (2) both the arrayed convergent micro-annulus and divergent micro-box, which can be further focused or compressed and continuously defocused or diverged as gradually increasing the observing distance; (3) some featured micro-patterns shaped by combining the convergent micro-annulus and divergent micro-box light-fields through simultaneously loading a couple of signal-voltage over two patterned electrodes coupled with the same common electrode according to the selected PD, which can be adjusted in a range of 0°∼360°. The developed DPE-LCA exhibits an interested trait of a dual-mode (micro-lightbeam converging and diverging) switching and a dynamic zooming by only matching the PD. It can be expected that the DPE-LCA will be applied to support some advanced imaging sensors.