Electrically controllable microlens array using a birefringent bilayer system of liquid crystalline polymer and liquid crystal

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate a novel type of an electronically controllable microlens array which is composed by a highly birefringent polymer convex microlens array and a LC film for polarizaion control of an incident light. First, a concave microlens array with a UV curable polymer was prepared by controlling curing process and a patterned UV irradiation. On the convex polymer microlens array, a homogeneous alignment layer was spin-coated and then unidirectionally rubbed. When a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) was cast on the concave polymer microlens array and cures by UV irradiation, a highly birefringent polymer convex microlens array is produced due to the chain ordering of LCP promoted by the surface alignment layer.