US 12,235,458 B2
Polarization-selective varifocal liquid lens
Afsoon Jamali, Issaquah, WA (US); Changwon Jang, Bellevue, WA (US); and Sandro Pintz, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 5, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/734,641.
Application 18/734,641 is a division of application No. 17/231,824, filed on Apr. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0319509 A1, Sep. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02B 3/14 (2006.01); G02B 5/30 (2006.01); G02B 26/00 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 27/0172 (2013.01) [G02B 3/14 (2013.01); G02B 5/3016 (2013.01); G02B 26/004 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A varifocal liquid lens comprising first and second liquid lens components having an interface therebetween, the interface extending across a clear aperture of the varifocal liquid lens and having a curvature variable within a curvature range by applying a control signal;
wherein the first and second liquid lens components comprise first and second fluids, respectively, wherein at least one of the first or second fluids is birefringent, such that:
for a first light beam having a first polarization state, the first and second liquid lens components are index-matched, whereby the interface has a substantially zero optical power for the first light beam at any curvature of the interface within the curvature range; and
for a second light beam having a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state, the first and second liquid lens components are index-mismatched, whereby the interface has a substantially non-zero optical power for the second light beam, the non-zero optical power depending on the curvature of the interface within the curvature range.