We report on a polarization-insensitive liquid crystal (PILC) Fresnel lens with the centro-symmetry of dynamic focusing in an orthogonally alternating hybrid configuration. The polarization-insensitive property is easily obtained using a single-masking process of photo alignment with no complex processes. The photopolymer used in this study is capable of homogeneously aligning the LC molecules according to the linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light. Note that this polarization-dependent aligning capability of the photopolymer allows for such single-masking process. The orthogonality between the optic axes in two adjacent zones in an alternating hybrid conguration leads directly to the polarization-insensitive property of the Fresnel lens irrespective of the polarization state of the incident light. Moreover, the centro-symmetric focusing property of our Fresnel lens is electrically controllable and completely preserved together with the polarization independence.

This work was supported in part by Korea Research Foundation Grant No. KRF-2004-005-D00165 and Samsung Electronics, AMLCD.