Method and apparatus for spatially modulated electric field generation and electro-optical tuning using liquid crystals

1. A variable optical device for controlling the propagation of light, the optical device comprising:

at least two planar liquid crystal cells, said liquid crystal cells having polarizations cross oriented to each other;

electrodes arranged to generate an electric field acting on said liquid crystal layers; and

at least one planar electric field modulation layer of uniform thickness arranged between said electrodes and adjacent said liquid crystal layers for spatially modulating said electric field in a manner to control the propagation of light passing through said liquid crystal layers, said electric field modulation layer having an optical index of refraction that is essentially spatially uniform and comprises:

a solid body having a first low frequency dielectric constant with a shape selected to impart a desired modulation of said electric field, and

a second low frequency dielectric constant material surrounding or adjacent to said solid body such that said solid body and said second material form a layer geometry.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said second material is a polar liquid or gel.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said polar liquid or gel is glycerol.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal layer has a planar geometry with two transparent plates containing liquid crystal.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said liquid crystal layer has a planar geometry with two transparent plates containing liquid crystal.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal layer changes its index of refraction as a function of said electric field.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said electric field modulation layer provides a periodic spatial step modulation of said electric field, such that said device is a diffractive optical device that is controllable between an active and an inactive state.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 , said electric field modulation layer comprises a spatially periodic form.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 , said electric field modulation layer comprises one of a planar-periodic form and a circularly-periodic form.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8 , said electric field modulation layer being configured to provide switchable Fresnel lens operation.

11. The device as claimed in claim 7 , said electric field modulation layer comprises a spatially periodic form from: a symmetrical sine cross-section, a symmetrical square cross-section, a symmetrical triangular cross-section, an asymmetrical tilted cross-section and an asymmetrical blazed cross-section.

12. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said electric field modulation layer is configured to provide a refractive optical device that is variably tunable.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said device is a variable focus lens.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said device is a beam steering device.

15. The device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said device is both a variable focus lens and a beam steering device.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electric field modulation layer has a fixed low frequency dielectric spatial distribution, and said electric field is modulated by modulating a voltage applied to said electrodes.

17. A mobile telephone having a camera, said camera including a variable optical device as claimed in claim 1 .

18. The device as claimed in claim 17 , said camera comprising a plurality of said variable optical devices, the combination of said variable optical devices being configured to provide a pan, tilt and zoom camera lens system.

19. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shape of said solid body comprises one of a complex shape and an aspherical shape.

20. A variable optical device for controlling the propagation of light, the optical device comprising:

at least two planar liquid crystal cells, said liquid crystal cells having polarizations cross oriented to each other;

electrodes arranged to generate an electric field acting on said liquid crystal layers; and

at least one planar electric field modulation layer of uniform thickness arranged between said electrodes and adjacent said liquid crystal layers for spatially modulating said electric field in a manner to control the propagation of light passing through said liquid crystal layers, said electric field modulation layer comprising a polar liquid or gel.

21. A variable optical device for controlling the propagation of light, the optical device comprising:

at least two planar liquid crystal cells, said liquid crystal cells having polarizations cross oriented to each other;

electrodes arranged to generate an electric field acting on said liquid crystal layers; and

at least one planar electric field modulation layer of uniform thickness arranged between said electrodes and adjacent said liquid crystal layers for spatially modulating said electric field in a manner to control the propagation of light passing through said liquid crystal layers, said electric field modulation layer comprising a very high low frequency dielectric constant material having a dielectric constant greater than 20.

22. The device as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said dielectric constant is greater than 1000.

23. The device as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said very high low frequency dielectric constant material is selected from the group consisting of perovskites (Barium Strontium Titanate), materials based on (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 , materials based on CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 , materials based on (Li,Ti)-doped NiO, thin films of Ca 1-x La x MnO 3 (x<=0.03), and polymer-ceramic nano-composites.