Instrumentation wavelength range selection and reconfiguration using electrically switchable diffraction gratings

Garry A. Lester; Adrian M. Strudwick

doi:10.1117/12.2649381

14 March 2023 Instrumentation wavelength range selection and reconfiguration using electrically switchable diffraction gratings

Garry A. Lester, Adrian M. Strudwick

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12442, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XVIII; 124420F (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2649381
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2023, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Switchable optical elements incorporating polymer structure and a liquid crystal material offer devices with a voltage controlled spatially varying phase difference at low cost. The polymer structure may be fabricated using established replication techniques and suitable liquid crystal materials are readily available. The voltage controlled effective refractive indices in the liquid crystal regions allow the path length difference between polymer regions and LC regions to be modulated facilitating voltage switchable diffractive devices. This approach has been used to make switchable diffraction gratings and these have been demonstrated in a reconfigurable optical system. Using multiple devices and enabling the diffraction effect of each in turn offers the possibility of reconfiguration of optical systems. In this demonstration two cascaded switchable diffraction gratings with periods of 100µm and 30µm respectively have been used to provide wavelength range selection reconfiguration for a photodiode array detector. The optical reconfiguration switched between first order diffraction from the 100µm grating and first order diffraction from the 30µm grating. This allows a given wavelength range to be covered with a lower resolution array detector optically switching between different wavelength ranges. This might allow the use of more compact detectors or detectors with larger pixels. The grating periods are set at the time of fabrication but may be designed to cover the wavelength ranges required of the particular application.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Garry A. Lester and Adrian M. Strudwick "Instrumentation wavelength range selection and reconfiguration using electrically switchable diffraction gratings", Proc. SPIE 12442, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XVIII, 124420F (14 March 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2649381

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available