Liquid crystal control structure, tip-tilt-focus optical phased array and high power adaptive optic

• Main Authors: RESLER, DANIEL P, DORSCHNER, TERRY A, KIRCHNER, AMANDA J, SMITH, IRL W, PALMACCIO, LINDA A, COLLINS, STEVEN R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.12.2014
• Subjects: DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

A transmissive liquid crystal (LC) control structure comprising: a superstrate (44) having a first surface (44a) having a GaN HEMT structure disposed thereon to provide a conductor on the first surface of said superstrate; a substrate (42) having a first surface disposed over and spaced apart from the first surface of said superstrate and having a GaN HEMT structure (43) disposed thereon to provide a conductor on the first surface of said substrate and wherein the GaN HEMT structure on one of the superstrate and substrate surfaces are patterned into individual electrodes; a polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) (48) disposed in the space between the first surface of said superstrate and the first surface of said substrate; and a control circuit coupled to the individual electrodes.