Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive polymer layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive polymer layer includes a non-vertical (e.g., sloped) sidewall with respect to a major surface of at least one of the electrodes. The electroactive polymer layer may be characterized by a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis that is oriented orthogonal to an electrode major surface.

Abstract: An optical element includes a waveguide body that is configured to guide light by total internal reflection from an input end to an output end, an input coupling structure located at the input end for coupling light into the waveguide body, and an output coupling structure located at the output end for coupling light out of the waveguide body, where the waveguide body includes a layer of an organic solid crystal. Such an optical element may have low weight and exhibit good color uniformity.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nanoimprint lithography (NIL) soft mold precursor material comprising a curable fluorinated base resin component, one or more additives, one or more crosslinkers, and one or more of a photo radical generator, a photo acid generator, or both. According to certain embodiments, further disclosed herein are a polymeric material comprising a partially or totally polymerized or crosslinked NIL precursor material, a NIL soft mold comprising the polymeric material, a process for making the NIL soft mold, and a method of using the NIL soft mold to form a NIL grating.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include an optical modulator including a first layer with at an organic layer and/or an organometallic layer; and a second layer with an extrinsic semiconductor layer and/or an electrode layer. Various other apparatuses and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A multilayer reflective polarizer includes a layer of a birefringent organic solid crystal, where the birefringent organic solid crystal has a refractive index of at least approximately 1.5 and a birefringence of at least approximately 0.1. The multilayer reflective polarizer may be configured to include alternating layers of a birefringent organic solid crystal material and a secondary material layer selected from an amorphous polymer, an inorganic amorphous compound, a liquid crystal, and an OSC material. The refractive index of the birefringent organic solid crystal layer(s) may be modified through the application of an applied voltage, current, or stress.

Abstract: An optical element includes a waveguide body that is configured to guide light by total internal reflection from an input end to an output end, an input coupling structure located at the input end for coupling light into the waveguide body, and an output coupling structure located at the output end for coupling light out of the waveguide body, where the waveguide body includes a layer of an optically anisotropic organic solid crystal. Such an optical element may have low weight and exhibit good color uniformity while presenting a 2D diagonal field-of-view of at least approximately 10°.

Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting diode having an emissive surface, and a capping layer including an organic solid crystal overlying the emissive surface. The refractive index of the organic solid crystal may be tuned such as through the application of a voltage, current, or stress to improve the light extraction efficiency of the device.

Abstract: An optical element includes a substrate and a metasurface located over a surface of the substrate. The metasurface may include an organic solid crystal material. A related display includes a waveguide, and a light input coupling element disposed on a surface of the waveguide, where the light input coupling element includes an organic solid crystal metasurface.

Abstract: A Fresnel lens includes a lens body having a structured surface with a plurality of facets, where the lens body includes an organic solid crystal having mutually-orthogonal refractive indices, nx, ny, nz. In a related vein, an apparatus includes a display and an optical configuration configured to receive display light from the display, where (a) the optical configuration includes a Fresnel lens assembly having a Fresnel lens and a Pancharatnam-Berry Phase lens overlying the Fresnel lens, (b) the Fresnel lens includes a lens body having a structured surface including a plurality of facets, and (c) the lens body includes an organic solid crystal.

Abstract: A device includes an active laser medium operative to emit spatially coherent light of a predetermined wavelength along an optical axis, first and second mirrors aligned with the optical axis and defining a resonant cavity enclosing the active laser medium, and a modulator including an organic solid crystal disposed along the optical axis between the first and second mirrors and configured to change a polarization state of the emitted light.

Abstract: An optical film includes a plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals and organic solid crystal structures at least partially surrounding the plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals. A method of making the optical film includes obtaining a substrate with an alignment layer and a film of a first solution on the alignment layer. The first solution includes liquid crystals and organic crystal molecules. The liquid crystals form a plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals on the alignment layer. The method also includes forming organic solid crystal structures by crystallizing the organic crystal molecules. The organic solid crystal structures at least partially surround the plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals.

Abstract: An optical film includes a block copolymer film defining a plurality of helically shaped cavities and a plurality of helically shaped organic solid crystals positioned within the plurality of helically shaped cavities. A method of making the optical film includes obtaining a film of a block copolymer solution including a chiral block copolymer and a non-chiral block copolymer on a substrate. The method includes annealing the film, thereby forming a plurality of helical structures from the chiral block copolymer defined within the non-chiral block copolymer and removing the plurality of helical structures, thereby creating a plurality of helically shaped cavities. The method further includes forming organic solid crystals inside the plurality of helically shaped cavities, thereby forming the optical film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polymeric waveguide for propagating light therein along width and length dimensions of the polymeric waveguide. The polymeric waveguide has a first curved surface on one side thereof and a second curved surface on an opposite second side thereof, and a refractive index spatially varying through a thickness thereof between the first curved surface and the second curved surface. The polymeric waveguide is curved in a cross-section comprising at least one of the width and length dimensions.

Abstract: An organic field effect transistor includes a channel structure having a photoalignment layer and an organic semiconductor layer disposed directly over the photoalignment layer, where a charge carrier mobility varies along a thickness direction of the channel structure. The channel structure may define an active area between a source and a drain of the transistor and may include alternating layers of at least two photoalignment layers and at least two organic semiconductor layers. Each photoalignment layer is configured to influence an orientation of molecules within an overlying organic semiconductor layer and hence impact the mobility of charge carriers within the device active area while also advantageously decreasing the OFF current of the device.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes an active layer of an organic solid crystalline phase, a primary electrode disposed over a first portion of the active layer, and a secondary electrode disposed over a second portion of the active layer, where an optical property of the active layer is configured to have a first value along a chosen direction in a first biased state and a second value along the chosen direction in a second biased state.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) includes an organic solid crystal (OSC) material layer, the OSC material layer having a substrate portion and a raised optical element integral with and extending from the substrate portion. The raised optical element may include a passive or active component of the photonic integrated circuit.

Abstract: A birefringent organic thin film includes mutually orthogonal in-plane refractive indices (nx and ny) and a through thickness refractive index (nz), where nx>1.4, ny?1.4, nz>1.4, Dnxy?0.1, Dnxz<0.01, and Dnyz<0.01. Optical properties including refractive index and birefringence may be continuously tuned by applying a voltage across the birefringent organic thin film.

Abstract: An optical diffraction grating includes a layer of organic solid crystal (OSC) material, an input photonic element configured to couple an input beam to the organic solid crystal material, and an output photonic element configured to receive an output beam from the organic solid crystal material. An applied voltage may be used to control the refractive index of the OSC material and accordingly tune the operation of the optical diffraction grating.

Abstract: A method of forming an organic solid crystal (OSC) thin film includes forming a layer of molecular feedstock over a surface of a substrate, the molecular feedstock including an organic solid crystal precursor, forming crystal nuclei from the organic solid crystal precursor within a nucleation region of the layer of molecular feedstock, and growing the crystal nuclei to form the organic solid crystal thin film.

Abstract: A film stack includes a plurality of first films and a plurality of second films alternately stacked. At least one second film of the plurality of second films includes a solid crystal including crystal molecules aligned in a predetermined alignment direction. At least one first film of the plurality of first films includes an alignment structure configured to at least partially align the crystal molecules of the solid crystal in the predetermined alignment direction.