38.1: Invited Paper: Photo-Aligned Anisotropic Optical Thin Films

Photo‐alignment of anisotropic optical thin films enables realization of novel optical elements, which were not feasible so far. Photo‐aligned anisotropic thin films can be applied to rigid or flexible substrates, which may be flat or curved. The optical performance of such films can be tailored to application specific requirements by introducing tilt profiles of the optical axis and/or generate patterned retarders with continuous or periodical in‐plane variation of the optical axis.