Dynamically Tunable, Diffractive Optical Elements

Diffractive optics has emerged as a valuable new technology for solving design problems in imaging, optical beam control, adaptive optics, and other important applications. Light weight and compact size diffractive elements offer particularly important benefits for space environments. Foster-Miller proposes to demonstrate in Phase I of this program, a completely unique extension to diffractive optics technology: voltage controlled or tunable diffractive optical elements. The element will be fabricated by laser writing a diffractive pattern in a novel photopolymer currently being exploited by Foster-Miller in cooperation with Polaroid Corporation. The unique pore structure of this film allows liquid crystals to be incorporated into selected regions of the film. An applied voltage varies the effective refractive index of the LC/DMP composite and directly controls the element diffraction efficiency. Multiple elements can be combined for beam steering, dynamic lens