Liquid-crystal blazed-grating beam deflector

A transmission-type nonmechanical multiple-angle beam-steering device that uses liquid-crystal blazed grating has been developed. Sixteen steering angles with a contrast ratio of 18 has been demonstrated. A detailed analysis of the Liquid-crystal and poly(methyl methacrylate) blazed-grating deflector was carried out to provide guidance during the deflector's development. A manufacturing offset compensation technique is proposed to improve the device's performance greatly. A hybrid approach utilizing electrically generated blazed grating combined with the cascading approach described here yields in excess of 500 deflecting angles. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 050.1970, 230.3720, 230.2090, 050.1940.