Stretchable and foldable waveplate based on liquid crystal polymer

Abstract

The unrestricted flexibility of flexible photonic devices realizes and adjusts the unique optoelectronic properties of the device, greatly expanding the development mode and application space of optoelectronic devices. Among them, the waveplate is critical for flexible modulation and design of the degree of polarization of light. However, previous reports on waveplates have not addressed the issues of high efficiency, tunable phase delay, and flexibility. Here, we proposed an ultra-thin, flexible, foldable, and stretchable waveplate based on liquid crystal polymer using a water-soluble transfer method. Through Jones Matrix analysis and research on the optical performance of the liquid crystal waveplate, the results show that the overall structure of the prepared liquid crystal flexible waveplate has high fidelity, and its optical performance is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. The flexible waveplates were used as anti-reflection for foldable organic light-emitting diode displays of smartphones.