Highly dispersive liquid crystal diffraction gratings with continuously varying periodicity

By using well-designed anchoring patterns in a liquid crystal (LC) device, novel electro-optic components with enhanced functionality can be designed. We present two types of nematic LC diffraction gratings varying periodicity, manufactured patterned photoalignment at the confining substrates. surface incident light redirected into many different orders, giving rise to scattering appearance grating. In Type I top and bottom substrates are aligned same direction, whereas II grating have relative rotation 90°. The structural optical properties tuned by applying an external voltage. director configuration bulk is revealed use polarizing microscopy images numerical simulations. Experimental results spectra intensities orders supported finite difference time domain (FDTD) specifically aim tunable which highly dispersive weak zeroth order diffraction. general, this work contribution field flat electric tunability.