Liquid Crystal 3D Optical Waveguides Based on Photoalignment

A novel design and approach for the realization of liquid crystal optical waveguides using photopatterning as a manufacturing method is presented. The developed method is used to demonstrate straight waveguides of different widths and curved waveguides with different radius of curvature. The waveguides are terminated with +1 or -1 surface defects through which the light incouples/outcouples. The effect of the straight waveguide thickness and the radius of curvature of the curved waveguides on the attenuation of the light in the waveguide is experimentally explored. The experiments are supported with numerical simulations of light propagation through both types of waveguides and outcoupling out of the straight waveguides. Furthermore, the effect of the size of the -1 defect terminations on the outcoupling efficiency is explored using simulations. Based on the presented design and manufacturing approach, liquid crystal optical waveguides of various shapes can be realized accurately with low-cost.