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University Group Reports Liquid Crystal Lens with Tunable Focus

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Researchers at the University of Central Florida in Orlando have reported the development of a liquid crystal lens with a focal length that can be tuned continuously from infinity to 0.6 m. They describe the device in the June 7 issue of Applied Physics Letters.

 To fabricate the lens, the scientists sandwiched a custom-made high-birefringence liquid crystal mixture between two planar substrates. The bottom substrate was glass, whose concave surface was coated with indium tin oxide to serve as a spherical electrode and the cavity filled with a UV-cured polymer. The top substrate also was made of glass and featured a planar electrode.

The application of a voltage induced a centrosymmetric gradient refractive index distribution in the liquid crystal that enables tunable focusing. The researchers note that the method may be used to fabricate a negative lens by reversing the shape of the spherical electrode.
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Published: July 2004
Glossary
focal length
The focal length of a lens is the distance between the lens's optical center (or principal point) and the image sensor or film when the lens is focused at infinity. In simple terms, it is the distance from the lens to the point where parallel rays of light converge or appear to diverge after passing through the lens. For converging lenses (convex lenses), which are thicker in the center, the focal length is considered positive. For diverging lenses (concave lenses), which are thinner in the...
indium tin oxide
A material widely used as a transparent conductive coating.
As We Go To PressBreaking Newsconcave surfacefocal lengthindium tin oxidelensesliquid crystal lensOpticsPresstime BulletinUniversity of Central Florida

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