Ultrafast and Deformation-Free Electrooptic Switching of Nanocomposite Liquid Crystal Holographic Optical Elements

Abstract

Liquid crystal-based holographic optical elements (LC-based HOEs) have garnered significant attention for their high diffraction efficiency, flexibility, and lightweight nature, making them ideal for applications such as near-eye displays, head-up displays, and beam steering devices. However, conventional LC-based HOEs have issues with pattern deformation and slow recovery when an electric field is applied, and often require additional LC layers or mechanical actuation to achieve effective switching. This study introduces nematic liquid crystal (NLC) nanocomposites that enable electro-optic switching while retaining the original director orientation pattern. The HOE with the NLC nanocomposite maintains high diffraction efficiency even under an applied electric field, with experimental results strongly correlating with theoretical simulations. Moreover, ultrafast response times of less than 100 μs were achieved. These findings highlight the potential of NLC nanocomposites for developing high performance, compact LC-based HOEs capable of rapid switching, expanding their applications in advanced optical systems such as beam steering.