Design, fabrication, and characterization of a liquid crystal-based large area electrically tunable lens for correction of astigmatism and defocus

Abstract

An optical imaging system’s image quality can deteriorate due to uncorrected astigmatism and defocus. An approach to correct these issues is proposed, which involves a non-mechanical, electronically adjustable system. This system consists of three liquid crystal-based cylindrical lenses, which adjust optical power depending on applied voltage values. The advantages of this system include a simple and low-cost structure, large aperture size, low-voltage drive, and compact design. This non-mechanical solution has great potential for various applications, such as wavefront correction for large telescopes, microscopy, augmented reality/virtual reality, and prescription eyeglasses. Design, fabrication, and optical characterization of the proposed device are discussed.