Electrically variable focus polymer-stabilized liquid crystal lens having non-homogenous polymerization of a nematic liquid crystal/monomer mixture

1. A method of making a variable focus liquid crystal lens, the method comprising inducing formation of a spatially non-homogenous density polymer network structure distributed within a volume of liquid crystal of a liquid crystal cell of said lens, the polymer network structure having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal cell is filled with a mixture of a liquid crystal material and a photopolymerizable monomer, and wherein said inducing comprises irradiating the liquid crystal/monomer mixture with light having a non-homogenous intensity distribution so as to induce formation of the spatially non-homogenous polymer network structure within the cell.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said polymer network structure is less than 3% by weight of a combined weight of said polymer network structure and said liquid crystal material.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said monomer is about 3% of said mixture by weight.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said irradiating comprises irradiating using a laser light source.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the intensity distribution is circularly symmetrical.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the intensity distribution is a Gaussian distribution.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said inducing is carried out while subjecting the liquid crystal/monomer mixture within said cell to a uniform electric field.

9. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said inducing is carried out while subjecting the liquid crystal/monomer mixture within said cell to a uniform electric field.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a step of providing a surfactant for orientating the liquid crystal/monomer mixture.

11. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the intensity distribution is circularly symmetrical.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the intensity distribution is a Gaussian distribution.

13. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the liquid crystal material is nematic.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal is nematic.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said inducing is carried out while subjecting a liquid crystal within said cell to a uniform electric field.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a step of providing a surfactant for orientating the liquid crystal/monomer mixture.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal cell contains a photopolymerizable monomer, and wherein said inducing comprises irradiating the cell using light to induce formation of a spatially non-homogenous density polymer network structure within the cell.

18. A method of making a variable focus liquid crystal lens, the method comprising irradiating a liquid crystal/monomer mixture within a cell with light having a non-homogenous intensity distribution so as to induce formation of a spatially non-homogenous polymer network structure within the cell, the polymer network structure having a predetermined spatial density variance that creates a corresponding spatial variance in the electro-optical response of the liquid crystal.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising applying a substantially uniform electric field to the liquid crystal/monomer mixture within the cell simultaneously with the irradiating.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising providing a surfactant for orientating the liquid crystal/monomer mixture.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said irradiating comprises using a laser light source to generate the light.