Characterization of a liquid crystal microlens array using multiwalled carbon nanotube electrodes

摘要

Reconfigurable liquid crystal microlenses employing arrays of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) have been designed and fabricated. The cells consist of arrays of 2 (mu)m high MWNTs grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on silicon with a top electrode of indium tin oxide coated glass positioned 20 (mu)m above the silicon and the gap filled with the nematic liquid crystal BLO48. Simulations have found that, while its nematic liquid crystal aligns with MWNTs within a distance of 10 nm, this distance is greatly enhanced by the application of an external electric field. Polarized light experiments show that light is focused with focal lengths ranging from approx7 (mu)m to 12 (mu)m.