Tunable high-resolution macroscopic self-engineered geometric phase optical elements

Abstract: Artificially engineered geometric phase optical elements may have tunable photonic functionalities owing to sensitivity to external fields, as is the case for liquid crystals based devices. However, a liquid crystal technology combining high-resolution topological ordering with tunable spectral behavior remains elusive. Here, by using a magneto-electric external stimulus, we create robust and efficient self-engineered liquid crystal geometric phase vortex masks with broadly tunable operating wavelength, centimeter-size clear aperture, and high-quality topological ordering.