Controllable shifting, steering, and expanding of light beam based on multi-layer liquid-crystal cells

TL;DR

This paper presents a multi-layer liquid-crystal device that enables precise, tunable control of light beam shifting, steering, and expanding, combining theoretical analysis and numerical modeling for versatile optical applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel multi-layer liquid-crystal setup with external electric control for extended beam manipulation, enhancing tunability and specificity over existing methods.

Findings

Demonstrated extended beam shifting, steering, and expanding capabilities.

Validated control through combined theoretical and numerical modeling.

Potential applications in projectors and automotive headlamps.

Abstract

Shaping and steering of light beams is essential in many modern applications, ranging from optical tweezers, camera lenses, vision correction to 3D displays. However, current realisations require increasingly greater tunability and aim for lesser specificity for use in diverse applications. Here, we demonstrate tunable light beam control based on multi-layer liquid-crystal cells and external electric field, capable of extended beam shifting, steering, and expanding, using a combination of theory and full numerical modelling, both for liquid crystal orientations and the transmitted light. Specifically, by exploiting three different function-specific and tunable birefringent nematic layers, we show an effective liquid-crystal beam control device, capable of precise control of outgoing light propagation, with possible application in projectors or automotive headlamps.