18063899. SPATIALLY-PATTERNED SWITCHABLE LC WAVEPLATES FOR A WIDE VIEWING APERTURE simplified abstract (META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC)

SPATIALLY-PATTERNED SWITCHABLE LC WAVEPLATES FOR A WIDE VIEWING APERTURE

Organization Name

META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Inventor(s)

Chulwoo Oh of Sammamish WA (US)

Hsien-Hui Cheng of Woodinville WA (US)

Xiaoze Ou of Mountain View CA (US)

Linghui Rao of Redmond WA (US)

SPATIALLY-PATTERNED SWITCHABLE LC WAVEPLATES FOR A WIDE VIEWING APERTURE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18063899 titled 'SPATIALLY-PATTERNED SWITCHABLE LC WAVEPLATES FOR A WIDE VIEWING APERTURE

The switchable waveplate described in the patent application consists of a substrate, a first electrode layer, an alignment layer with alignment patterns, a liquid crystal layer, and a second electrode layer.

• The alignment patterns on the alignment layer are based on specific angles of interest at different regions of the waveplate.
• The liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are pre-tilted in the absence of an electric field, following the alignment patterns.
• Electric fields of varying magnitudes can be applied to different zones of the waveplate using the first and second electrode layers.

Potential Applications:

• Optical devices
• Display technologies
• Polarization control systems

Problems Solved:

• Precise control of polarization states
• Switching between different optical properties
• Enhanced performance in optical systems

Benefits:

• Improved optical functionality
• Versatile polarization control
• Enhanced display quality

Commercial Applications:

• Display technology industry
• Optical instrument manufacturing
• Research and development in optics

Prior Art: Prior research on liquid crystal devices for polarization control and waveplate technologies.

Frequently Updated Research: Ongoing studies on liquid crystal alignment techniques and their applications in optical devices.

Questions about Switchable Waveplates: 1. How does the alignment layer contribute to the functionality of the switchable waveplate? 2. What are the advantages of using liquid crystal molecules in polarization control systems?

Original Abstract Submitted

A switchable waveplate includes a substrate, a first electrode layer on the substrate, an alignment layer on the first electrode layer and including alignment patterns formed thereon, a liquid crystal layer on the alignment layer, and a second electrode layer on the liquid crystal layer. The alignment patterns are determined based on angles of interest at a plurality of regions of the switchable waveplate. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules that are arranged according to the alignment patterns and are pre-tilted when no electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer. The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to apply electric fields of different magnitudes to a plurality of zones of the switchable waveplate.