Dynamic propagation of an Airy beam in metasurface-enabled gradiently-aligned liquid crystals

Due to the unique self-acceleration, self-healing, and non-diffraction properties, Airy beams have been explored extensively and found applications in various fields. It has been proven as an essential aspect to tune the trajectory of Airy beams for extensive applications. In this paper, we propose a method based on liquid crystal (LC) alignment with metasurfaces, which enables dynamic tuning of the trajectory of Airy beams. Benefiting from both the tunable property of LCs and the compact alignment of metasurfaces, we achieve a sizeable linear potential in a short distance, which leads to the effective tuning of the trajectory of Airy beams dynamically. The introduction of metasurfaces into the alignment of LCs provides a promising method to manipulate the planar optical field.

Automated summary

This paper proposes a method based on liquid crystal (LC) alignment with metasurfaces for dynamic tuning of Airy beam trajectory. By introducing metasurfaces into LC alignment, a sizable linear potential is achieved in a short distance, enabling effective tuning of Airy beam trajectory.