Modeling light propagation in a fresnel lens with an electrically controlled nematic layer

This work is dedicated to the modeling of the optical properties of a Fresnel lens with an electrically controlled layer for optoelectronic devices. The modeling was performed using SolidWorks and Zemax software packages. The analysis of the nonuniform distribution of the electric field in the acrylic–nematic liquid crystal system was conducted. A method was developed for creating an optical layer of a complex shape with a variable refractive index.

It is shown that the proposed structure makes it possible to create electrically tunable lenses with a wide range of focal length adjustment via an electric field, using a nematic liquid crystal layer of less than 100 µm. The causes of optical aberrations were identified, along with ways to eliminate them.