Full vectorial field sensing using liquid crystal droplet arrays

Journal article

Determining the amplitude, phase, and polarization profile of light is essential for both fundamental scientific discovery and applications spanning optical metrology, microscopy, astronomy, and optical communication/computing technologies. However, most modern measurement approaches are unable to retrieve such parameters readily, often relying on bulky and expensive hardware, or lacking the capability for single-shot sensing. Here, we introduce a low cost, compact, full vectorial field sensor based on an inkjet-printed nematic liquid crystal droplet array that enables simultaneous measurement of these important characteristics of light. Polarization and intensity are measured via division-of-wavefront polarimetry, exploiting the droplets’ spatially varying birefringence, while the phase is reconstructed by treating each droplet as a separate microlens in a Shack-Hartmann-like wavefront sensor configuration. To demonstrate the system’s performance, we characterize aberrated dual-wavelength beams carrying distinct intensity, phase, and polarization information, confirming accurate retrieval of the optical field profiles for both spectral components.

Authors: Qiu, X; Guo, J; Cui, J; Zhang, R; Zhao, Z

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Advanced Materials
• Publication date: 2026-06-09
• Acceptance date: 2026-05-21
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.73661
• EISSN: 1521-4095
• ISSN: 0935-9648
• Language: English
• Keywords: birefringence; liquid crystal; metrology; microlens; optical field; optics; polarimetry; wavefront; wavefront sensor