New generation optical elements with centrally simmetric orientation based on liquid crystal polymers

The synthesis of new photo-orienting liquid crystal polymers made it possible to create a completely new type of optical elements consisting of ultrathin layers with a spatially structured orientation of the optical axis. In this paper the optical elements based on centrally symmetric periodic structures with cylindrical orientations of molecules are described. These elements are implemented using the recording method that provides a smooth change of optical axis in a thin film of a liquid crystal polymer. The optical elements on the base of described structures have new functionalities and may be assigned to the class of optical elements of a new generation.