Abstract: The examples relate to various implementations of an electrowetting cell and optical devices including the electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell includes a conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid having refractive indices that differ by at least 0.2. In an example, the fluids of the electrowetting cell are capable of providing at least 50% transmissivity to radiation in a preselected band within the x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, or radiowave spectrums after 1 hour at a temperature of 40° C. and/or after 1 hour of an exposure at an average illuminance of at least 80,000 lux.

Abstract: The examples relate to various implementations of an electrowetting cell and optical devices including the electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell includes an ionic conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid having refractive indices that differ by at least 0.2. In an example, the fluids of the electrowetting cell are capable of providing at least 50% transmissivity to radiation in a preselected band within the x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, or radiowave spectrums after 1 hour at a temperature of 40° C. and/or after 1 hour of an exposure at an average illuminance of at least 80,000 lux. In another example, the ionic conductive fluid is selected from a compound of Formula 1: in which R is a substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched alkyl group comprising 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group; and X is selected from a halogen, a sulfonate or sulfonamide group.

Abstract: An example fighting device has a luminaire and a driver circuit. The luminaire includes a variable electrokinetic optic that includes an electrokinetic fluid between a transparent substrate and a diffuser. The electrokinetic fluid includes a carrier fluid mixed with charged particles. The variable electrokinetic optic further includes a transparent substrate electrode and a diffuser electrode configured to generate an electric field in the electrokinetic fluid in response to a control voltage applied across the transparent substrate electrode and the transparent diffuser electrode. The electric field attracts the charged particles to adjust an effective birefringence of the variable electrokinetic optic. Increasing the effective birefringence increases an output beam angle of the emitted illumination lighting relative to an input beam angle. The driver circuit selectively controls the applied control voltage.

Abstract: In an electrowetting cell or system using the cell, electrode configuration and/or associated control of electrode drive signal(s) compensate for the impact of an external condition such as gravity, vibration or motion, which may otherwise cause distortion or aberration in the optical geometry of the fluid(s) of the electrowetting cell. The compensation technology may allow for larger electrowetting cell designs, whether lenses, prisms or other various electrowetting devices.

Abstract: An electrowetting cell includes a substrate that includes a well filled with at least one fluid an external contact surface. The substrate is formed of ceramic or fiberglass mesh infused with resin. A control channel electrode connection pad and a common electrode connection pad are on the external contact surface. A first plate is coupled to the substrate to seal a first end of the well. A second plate is coupled to the substrate to seal a second end of the well. The electrowetting cell further includes a control channel electrode on the substrate configured to control a shape of the at least one fluid via an electric field, a common electrode, a control channel electrode interconnect connected to the control channel electrode and the control channel electrode connection pad, and a common electrode interconnect connected to the common electrode and the common electrode connection pad.

Abstract: An example fighting device has a luminaire and a driver circuit. The luminaire includes a variable electrokinetic optic that includes an electrokinetic fluid between a transparent substrate and a diffuser. The electrokinetic fluid includes a carrier fluid mixed with charged particles. The variable electrokinetic optic further includes a transparent substrate electrode and a diffuser electrode configured to generate an electric field in the electrokinetic fluid in response to a control voltage applied across the transparent substrate electrode and the transparent diffuser electrode. The electric field attracts the charged particles to adjust an effective birefringence of the variable electrokinetic optic. Increasing the effective birefringence increases an output beam angle of the emitted illumination lighting relative to an input beam angle. The driver circuit selectively controls the applied control voltage.

Abstract: The examples herein relate to assembly techniques and structures for sealing and lateral pressure compensation techniques that can be utilized in, for example, an electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell can include a substrate that supports a well filled with a liquid. The electrowetting cell can include a control channel electrode to control the liquid via an electric field and a circuit connection to drive the control channel electrode. A seal is coupled to a spacer to seal the well between the substrate and the transparent cover. An expansion space, exterior to the well, is formed with the coupling of the seal and the spacer. As the liquid or the gas thermally expands or contracts, the seal compensates laterally by deforming sideways in an empty space of the expansion space.

Abstract: The examples relate to various implementations of an electrowetting cell and optical devices including the electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell includes a conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid having refractive indices that differ by at least 0.2. In an example, the fluids of the electrowetting cell are capable of providing at least 50% transmissivity to radiation in a preselected band within the x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, or radiowave spectrums after 1 hour at a temperature of 40° C. and/or after 1 hour of an exposure at an average illuminance of at least 80,000 lux.

Abstract: The examples relate to various implementations of an electrowetting cell and optical devices including the electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell includes an ionic conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid having refractive indices that differ by at least 0.2. In an example, the fluids of the electrowetting cell are capable of providing at least 50% transmissivity to radiation in a preselected band within the x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, or radiowave spectrums after 1 hour at a temperature of 40° C. and/or after 1 hour of an exposure at an average illuminance of at least 80,000 lux. In another example, the ionic conductive fluid is selected from a compound of Formula 1: in which R is a substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched alkyl group comprising 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group; and X is selected from a halogen, a sulfonate or sulfonamide group.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal type variable beam shaping optic, a part of a structure that forms a gap for the liquid crystals includes a surface relief micro-structure diffuser. Due to the micro-features of the diffuser, the gap is non-uniform. A voltage applied to an electrode associated with the diffuser and an electrode associated with an opposing substrate controls the orientation of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals in a material filling the non-uniform gap. For example, the index of refraction of the material may vary relative to an index of refraction of the diffuser, based on variations of the crystal orientation caused by variation of the applied voltage. The change in relative indices of refraction, in the examples, changes a focal length of the variable optic and thus the shape of a light beam optically processed through the liquid crystal optic.

Abstract: A system comprises a driver and an electrowetting cell controlled by the driver that includes a substrate that includes a well filled with at least two non-mixing media. The well has lateral walls and a stepped control channel electrode matrix including multiple stepped control channel electrode arrays. The lateral walls can collectively form a continuous perimeter around the well (e.g., circle shaped). Each stepped control channel electrode array includes a number of stepped control channel electrodes formed at different longitudinal levels along a respective lateral wall. Each stepped control channel electrode is independently controllable to control a shape of the at least two non-mixing media via an electric field. Each lateral wall encloses the at least two non-mixing media inside the well.

Abstract: In an electrowetting cell or system using the cell, electrode configuration and/or associated control of electrode drive signal(s) compensate for the impact of an external condition such as gravity, vibration or motion, which may otherwise cause distortion or aberration in the optical geometry of the fluid(s) of the electrowetting cell. The compensation technology may allow for larger electrowetting cell designs, whether lenses, prisms or other various electrowetting devices.

Abstract: An electrowetting cell includes a substrate that includes a well filled with at least one fluid an external contact surface. The substrate is formed of ceramic or fiberglass mesh infused with resin. A control channel electrode connection pad and a common electrode connection pad are on the external contact surface. A first plate is coupled to the substrate to seal a first end of the well. A second plate is coupled to the substrate to seal a second end of the well. The electrowetting cell further includes a control channel electrode on the substrate configured to control a shape of the at least one fluid via an electric field, a common electrode, a control channel electrode interconnect connected to the control channel electrode and the control channel electrode connection pad, and a common electrode interconnect connected to the common electrode and the common electrode connection pad.

Abstract: The examples herein relate to assembly techniques and structures for sealing and lateral pressure compensation techniques that can be utilized in, for example, an electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell can include a substrate that supports a well filled with a liquid. The electrowetting cell can include a control channel electrode to control the liquid via an electric field and a circuit connection to drive the control channel electrode. A seal is coupled to a spacer to seal the well between the substrate and the transparent cover. An expansion space, exterior to the well, is formed with the coupling of the seal and the spacer. As the liquid or the gas thermally expands or contracts, the seal compensates laterally by deforming sideways in an empty space of the expansion space.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal type variable beam shaping optic, a part of a structure that forms a gap for the liquid crystals includes a surface relief micro-structure diffuser. Due to the micro-features of the diffuser, the gap is non-uniform. A voltage applied to an electrode associated with the diffuser and an electrode associated with an opposing substrate controls the orientation of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals in a material filling the non-uniform gap. For example, the index of refraction of the material may vary relative to an index of refraction of the diffuser, based on variations of the crystal orientation caused by variation of the applied voltage. The change in relative indices of refraction, in the examples, changes a focal length of the variable optic and thus the shape of a light beam optically processed through the liquid crystal optic.

Abstract: Devices, modules, systems, and methods for the desalination of water provided. The devices, modules, systems can include a desalination member separating a concentrated fluid chamber from a dilute fluid chamber. The desalination member can comprise one or more pores extending through the desalination member to fluidly connect concentrated fluid chamber and the dilute fluid chamber, and one or more electrodes configured to generate an electric field gradient in proximity to the opening of the one or more pores in the desalination member. Under an applied bias and in the presence of a pressure driven flow of saltwater into the concentrated fluid chamber, the electric field gradient can preferentially direct ions in saltwater away from the opening of the one or more pores in the desalination member, while desalted water can flow through the pores into dilute fluid chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to the transmission of a signal from a communications device to another device (e.g. a hearing aid) by inductive communication and particularly to a scheme for improving the signal quality at the location of the other device. The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative scheme for improving the quality of inductive communication between two (e.g. portable) devices. The basic idea is to arrange at least two induction coils at an angle to each other in a transmitting device and to apply electrical signals comprising carrier signals comprising a carrier frequency fc to the at least two induction coils, the carrier signals of the two electrical signals being phase shifted relative to each other. An advantage thereof is that a reduced drop out is achieved. The invention may e.g. be used for portable communications devices requiring communication with another device over a relatively short distance, e.g.