Response time improvement of liquid–crystal wavefront corrector using optimal cell gap of numerical computation

The optimal cell gap of nematic liquid–crystal wavefront corrector (LCWFC) is proved theoretically by numerical computation of the Ericksen–Leslie equation based on finite differences and confirmed experimentally. The numerical results of optimizing cell gap overcome the constraints of many approximations e.g. the small angle approximation and agree much better with the experimental data than those of analytical solution. Therefore, this method supplies a useful tool to achieve the optimal cell gap of a nematic LCWFC with high precision. Together with high birefringence and low rotational viscosity liquid crystal (LC) material effect, a nematic LCWFC with response time of sub-millisecond can be achieved in the visible spectral region.