ABSTRACT
We design and simulate a polarizing color filter with a sub-wavelength metal-dielectric grating. It manifests several advantages: a large acceptance angle (up to ±50°), high transmittance (74.3%-92.7%), low absorption loss (â¼3.3%), and a high extinction ratio. This polarizing color filter can be integrated into a liquid-crystal display (LCD) backlight system to simultaneously recycle the light according to its color and polarization. In combination with a specially designed directional backlight, this newly proposed LCD system can theoretically improve optical efficiency up to â¼2.5×, and also provides a large ambient contrast ratio and a wide view. Our approach enables an ultra-low-power LCD without using the complicated field-sequential-color technique.
ABSTRACT
We demonstrated a low-voltage polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) for phase-only modulation with a liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS). A new device configuration was developed, which allows the incident laser beam to traverse the BPLC layer four times before exiting the LCoS. As a result, the 2π phase change voltage is reduced to below 24 V in the visible region. The response time remains relatively fast (â¼3 ms). The proposed device configuration enables widespread applications of BPLC spatial light modulators.
ABSTRACT
We analyze how to realize Rec. 2020 wide color gamut with quantum dots. For photoluminescence, our simulation indicates that we are able to achieve over 97% of the Rec. 2020 standard with quantum dots by optimizing the emission spectra and redesigning the color filters. For electroluminescence, by optimizing the emission spectra of quantum dots is adequate to render over 97% of the Rec. 2020 standard. We also analyze the efficiency and angular performance of these devices, and then compare results with LCDs using green and red phosphors-based LED backlight. Our results indicate that quantum dot display is an outstanding candidate for achieving wide color gamut and high optical efficiency.
ABSTRACT
We report a high-efficiency quantum dot (QD) film for high color gamut edge-lit LCD backlights. On the film's input surface, an array of asymmetric microprisms is used to preserve the large off-axis angle of the incident blue light. On the exit surface, the retroreflective microprisms retain blue light inside the film. The extended optical path effectively enhances the blue light's probability to hit QDs and generate downconverted wavelengths. When not using any volume scattering particles, fewer QDs are needed to re-emit higher power green and red light, which helps lower the material cost.
ABSTRACT
We demonstrate an electro-optic method to tune the correlated color temperature (CCT) of white light-emitting-diode (WLED) with a color conversion film, consisting of fluorescent dichroic dye doped in a liquid crystal host. By controlling the molecular reorientation of dichroic dyes, the power ratio of the transmitted blue and red lights of the white light can be accurately manipulated, resulting in different CCT. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we showed that the CCT of a yellow phosphor-converted WLED can be tuned from 3200 K to 4100 K. With further optimizations, the tuning range could be enlarged to 2500 K with fairly good color performance: luminous efficacy of radiation (LER) > 300 lm/W, color rendering index (CRI) > 75, and Duv < 0.005. Besides, the operation voltage is lower than 5 V and good angular color uniformity is achieved with remote-phosphor coating. This approach is promising for next generation smart lighting.
ABSTRACT
We propose a versatile design approach of engineered diffuser based on freeform optics that can tailor the light distribution of a liquid crystal display (LCD) to meet different applications. The proposed LCD system consists of a quasi-directional backlight, liquid crystal panel, and an engineered diffuser. It offers high efficiency, wide view, high contrast, as well as low ambient light reflection. For large size LCDs, we design a wide view diffuser to match the light distribution with state-of-the-art organic light emitting diode (OLED) TV. For mobile displays, we design a diffuser to replicate current LCD performance. Our design can also provide flattop light intensity distribution for privacy protection. These exemplary designs prove that our engineered diffuser is versatile for different applications.
ABSTRACT
We propose a color-tunable light emitting diode (LED) consisting of a blue LED as the light source and quantum dot (QD) suspension as the color-conversion medium. The LED color temperature can be controlled by varying the liquid volume of each QD suspension with different photoluminescence colors. We simulate and optimize the light efficiency and color quality of the color-tunable LED and also fabricated a prototype to prove concept. The proposed color-tunable LED exhibits several advantages such as excellent color-rendering property, simple structure and driving mechanism, as well as high energy efficiency. Its potential applications include circadian rhythm regulation and healthy lighting.
ABSTRACT
We apply a rigorous dipole model to analyze the light outcoupling and angular performance of quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED). To illustrate the design principles, we use a red QLED as an example and compare its performance with an organic light emitting diode (OLED). By combining a high refractive index glass substrate with macroextractors, our simulation results indicate that the light outcoupling efficiency is doubled from ~40% to ~80%. After analyzing the light emission spectra and angular radiation pattern of the device, we confirm that QLED has a much weaker color shift than OLED.
ABSTRACT
We analyze the color performance and system efficiency of three commonly employed liquid crystal display modes with a blue LED-pumped red and green quantum dots (QDs) backlight. Based on the measured QD emission spectra, we can achieve 115% color gamut in CIE 1931 and 140% in CIE 1976 color space, while keeping the same energy efficiency as conventional backlights. Next, we apply multi-objective optimization method to refine the QD emission spectra and find a fundamental tradeoff between display system efficiency and color gamut. This systematic photometric analysis also provides useful guidelines for further optimizing QD backlight design and display system efficiency.
ABSTRACT
This work reports how the process of three-dimensional multi-photon direct laser writing (mpDLW) is affected when there is a small mismatch in refractive index between the material being patterned and the medium in which the focusing objective is immersed. Suspended-line microstructures were fabricated by mpDLW in the cross-linkable epoxide SU-8 as a function of focus depth and average incident power. It is found that even a small refractive index contrast of Δn = + 0.08 causes significant variation in feature width and height throughout the depth of the material. In particular, both the width and height of features can either increase or decrease with depth, depending upon how much the average incident laser power exceeds the threshold for writing. Vectorial diffraction theory is used to obtain insight into the origin of the effect and how to compensate for it. We demonstrate that varying the average focused power is a practical means for controlling the variation in feature size with focal depth.
ABSTRACT
We built a dispersive white-light spectral interferometer for precisely measuring the dispersion properties of a multilayer thin-film structure. A novel algorithm with improved robustness to measurement errors is presented by combining a windowed Fourier transformation with wavelet-based differentiation. Compared with previously published algorithms, this method shows substantial resistance to measurement errors. The group delay dispersion properties of bulk materials and a homemade chirped mirror are measured by our apparatus, and the measurement result manifests considerable accuracy and robustness. The technique shows reasonable potential for the characterization of ultrabroadband chirped mirrors.
