Project Title:

Construction of a Liquid-Crystal Tunable Filter for Visible Light

92-1-08.08-4068                                                    NAS07-1206
Construction of a Liquid-Crystal Tunable Filter for
     Visible Light
Meadowlark Optics, Inc.
7460 Weld County, Road 1
Longmont, CO  80504-9470
Thomas G. Baur                                       (303-776-4068)

Abstract:

     This project will demonstrate a prototype liquid crystal
tunable filter for use in remote sensing. It will be a hybrid Solc
Lyot filter for maximum transmission, and it will use standard,
nematic liquid-crystal variable retarders as wavelength tuning
elements. Most of the fixed, multiwave retarders will be made
using low-cost birefringent polymers similar to the firm's
standard product. The filter will have a passband width of about 6
nm, and it will be wavelength tunable from 400 nm to 750 nm. While
the package is small and lightweight, requiring only low power and
low voltage for tuning, it will have a wide angular field of view
of ñ14ø, a clear aperture of 30 mm, and a tuning time of 4 to 5
milliseconds. The firm will manufacture all optical components and
will characterize the filter performance. The firm will also
supply an electronic controller for tuning the filter.

Potential Commercial Application:

Potential Commercial Applications:  The filter will have
commercial applications wherever imaging spectrophotometry is
useful, for example, in paint color analysis, video display color
analysis, solar physics, submarine communications, and fiber
optics communications.

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