Liquid Crystal Lens Electrode Design for Parabolic Field
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrically-driven liquid crystal lenses face challenges in achieving a gentle parabolic lens plane and stable profile, especially in large-area display devices, due to steep electric fields and insufficient electric field distribution, leading to distorted lens shapes and ineffective performance.
Innovation Solution
The design includes first and second substrates with a plurality of electrodes arranged to receive different voltages, where the distance between electrodes varies, and a distributed-voltage generator to apply voltages corresponding to a positive quadratic function, ensuring a gentle electric field distribution across the lens region, with electrodes being more densely packed at the edge and gradually increasing in width and distance towards the center.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If electrodes are arranged with uniform spacing across the liquid crystal layer, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the electric field distribution becomes non-uniform causing distorted lens shapes and insufficient field distribution in large-area displays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the electrode spacing according to position - electrodes are densely arranged at the edge regions and sparsely arranged at the center region. This non-uniform local arrangement creates a gentle parabolic electric field distribution throughout the liquid crystal layer, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and lens shape precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of electrode spacing from uniform to non-uniform, specifically making the spacing smaller at edges and larger at the center. This parameter change compensates for the natural electric field distortion, achieving a gentle parabolic field distribution that maintains both manufacturing ease and optical precision.
2Power
If high voltage is applied to create a strong electric field for lens formation, then the lens effect is enhanced, but the electric field becomes too steep causing liquid crystal alignment distortion and crosstalk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different voltage levels to different regions - higher voltages are applied to edge electrodes and lower voltages to center electrodes. This local differentiation creates a gentle electric field gradient that maintains strong lens effects at edges while preventing over-alignment and crosstalk in the center region, thus stabilizing the overall lens profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an equipotential distribution pattern where the electric field strength is balanced across different regions through careful voltage assignment. By making the spacing between adjacent electrodes proportional to the voltage difference, the patent achieves uniform electric field gradients throughout the liquid crystal layer, preventing distortion and maintaining profile stability.
3Volume of moving object
If the liquid crystal layer thickness is increased to improve lens effect, then the optical path difference is enhanced, but the cell gap becomes too large causing alignment difficulties and profile instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of cell gap from large to small (reducing it to 10μm or less), and compensates for the reduced optical path difference by optimizing the electrode arrangement and voltage application. This creates a gentle electric field that achieves effective lens formation with improved alignment precision and profile stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for a stable and gentle parabolic lens plane, preventing crosstalk and maintaining lens shape consistency across the lens region, even in large-area displays, by ensuring a consistent and gentle electric field distribution.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid crystal layer has a difference in transmissivity by voltages applied to the two electrodes, and an image can be displayed using the transmissivity difference of pixels
Implementation Method 2
Liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field created when voltages are applied to the two electrodes
Implementation Method 3
With polarization, when liquid crystal molecules are under the influence of an electric field, electric charges in the liquid crystal molecules are gathered to opposite sides of the liquid crystal molecules, whereby a molecular arrangement direction is altered according to the electric field
Implementation Method 4
With optical anisotropy, owing to an elongated shape of liquid crystal molecules and the above-mentioned molecular arrangement direction, the path or polarization of light to be emitted is changed according to the incidence direction or polarization of incident light
Data Source
AI summary
An electrically-driven liquid crystal lens, which can achieve not only a gentle parabolic lens plane when being realized via alignment of liquid crystals based on a changed electrode configuration, but also a reduced cell gap of a liquid crystal layer and a stable profile even in a large-area display device, and a stereoscopic display device using the same are disclosed.