Abstract

$Q$-plates are geometrical phase elements that enable the realization of vector beams in simple and compact optical setups. In this work, we consider a tunable liquid-crystal commercial $q$-plate operative in the visible and near-IR range and study its spectral and color birefringence properties under broadband illumination. We first characterize the spectral retardance function of the device in a wide range from 400 to 1600 nm and determine how it changes upon applied voltage. Then we evaluate the color transmission characteristics when inserting the $q$-plate between crossed and parallel linear polarizers. These color properties agree with the trajectory in the CIExy chromaticity diagram as the applied voltage changes. Finally, we demonstrate that a simple visual inspection of the transmitted birefringence color perceived when placing the $q$-plate between crossed polarizers can be used to obtain a rapid estimation of the $q$-plate retardance at given wavelength ranges.

© 2019 Optical Society of America

Fast copolymer network liquid crystals for tunable birefringence colors

Fatemeh Jahanbakhsh and Alexander Lorenz
Appl. Opt. 58(20) 5587-5594 (2019)

Q-plate technology: a progress review [Invited]

Andrea Rubano, Filippo Cardano, Bruno Piccirillo, and Lorenzo Marrucci
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 36(5) D70-D87 (2019)

Liquid crystal-based order electrically controlled q-plate system

Shuiqin Zheng, Lang Zha, Jinhui Lu, Xuanke Zeng, Ying Li, Shixiang Xu, and Dianyuan Fan
Opt. Express 27(11) 16103-16110 (2019)

Direct fabrication of a q-plate array by scanning wave photopolymerization

Miho Aizawa, Megumi Ota, Kyohei Hisano, Norihisa Akamatsu, Takeo Sasaki, Christopher J. Barrett, and Atsushi Shishido
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 36(5) D47-D51 (2019)

Tunable liquid crystal q-plates with arbitrary topological charge

Sergei Slussarenko, Anatoli Murauski, Tao Du, Vladimir Chigrinov, Lorenzo Marrucci, and Enrico Santamato
Opt. Express 19(5) 4085-4090 (2011)