The subject of this thesis is the development of a hybrid-integrated scanning grating spectrometer based on a micro-opto-electro-mechanical device or a micro-opto-electromechanical system, respectively. Features of spectral measurement system to be emphasized are a miniaturized construction with the volume of about a sugar cube, a corresponding low mass and low power consumption. In contrast to comparable and currently available spectroscopic instruments with compact physical dimensions, the system offers advantages in terms of enhanced mobility, portability, energy efficency, feasibility for on-site analysis and sensor integration. Miniaturized spectroscopes can help to address new areas of application as well as improve already existing applications. Food analysis, medical care, environmental monitoring, qualtiy inspection, process control, generation of bioenergy as well as safety and security tasks are exemplary fields of application. Within these areas, organic compounds ubiquitously to our everyday life play an important role. The near-infrared spectral band, that is the measurement range of the hybrid-integrated grating spectrometer, is well suited for the detection as well as the qualitative and quantitative analysis of organic compounds. The system follows the construction of a Czerny-Turner grating monochromator that is characterized by a rotatable mounted diffraction grating as well as separated optics for collimation and refocusing. By the rotation of the dispersive element, the spectrum is scanned across the fixed detector and sampled time-discretely. In the case of the hybrid-integrated spectrometer, the grating is part of a micro-opto-mechanical system, with the size of about 50 mm², developed at the Fraunhofer IPMS. Additionally to the grating, the corresponding driving mechanism, the position detection for the deflection angle and two optical slits are part of this device, as well. Integrating several functional components into one structural element is the main strategy of the construction process and is applied to all remaining features. A potentioally serial manufacturing is taken into account by the assembly and joining technology involved. Apart from the theoretical basics, the state of the art, the system specifications as well as the constructive and experimental results, a major part of this thesis is concerned with the technological and constructive boundary conditions, an analytical system description and the discussion of the solution space of this class of spectroscopic instruments. / Das Thema der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines hybrid-integrierten Gitterspektrometers basierend auf einem mikro-opto-elektro-mechanischen Bauelement. Auszeichnen soll sich das spektrale Messsystem durch einen miniaturisierten Aufbau mit dem Volumen eines Stück Würfelzuckers, einem dementsprechend geringen Gewicht und einer niedrigen Leistungsaufnahme. Im Vergleich zu bereits verfügbaren kompakten Spektralapparaten gleicher Funktionsweise ergeben sich Vorteile hinsichtlich Mobilität, Portabilität, Energieeffizienz, Anwendbarkeit in der Vor-Ort-Analytik und Sensorintegration. Mit miniaturisierten Spektrometern lassen sich neue Anwendungsgebiete adressieren und für bestehende Applikation bislang ungenutzte Entwicklungspotenziale erschließen. Exemplarische Einsatzfelder sind die Lebensmittelanalytik, Medizin- und Umweltmesstechnik, Qualitäts- und Prozesskontrolle, Bioenergiegewinnung sowie Sicherheitsanwendungen. In diesen Gebieten spielen die in unserem Alltag oft vorkommenden organischen Verbindungen eine wichtige Rolle. Zu ihrer qualitativen und quantitativen Analyse ist insbesondere der nahinfrarote Spektralbereich geeignet, in welchem das hybrid-integrierte Gitterspektrometer messen soll. Der Aufbau des Systems entspricht einem Czerny-Turner-Gittermonochromator, der durch ein drehbar gelagertes Beugungsgitter sowie eine getrennte Kollimations- und Refokussieroptik charakterisiert wird. Durch die Drehung des dispersiven Elementes verschiebt sich das Spektrum über einen ortsfesten Detektor, der die zeitdiskrete Abtastung durchführt. Im miniaturisierten Spektrometer ist das Gitter Teil eines am Fraunhofer IPMS hergestellten mikro-opto-elektro-mechanischen Bauelementes mit einer Fläche von nur 50 mm². In dieser Komponente sind neben dem dispersiven Element auch dessen Antrieb, die Positionsdetektion zum Bestimmen der Gitterauslenkung und zwei optische Spalte zusammengefasst. Die Strategie, mehrere Funktionskomponenten über geeignete Mikrofertigungstechniken in ein Bauteil zu integrieren, wird auch auf alle anderen Systembestandteile angewendet. Die Aufbau- und Verbindungstechniken zum Justieren und Montieren der komplexen Bauelemente berücksichtigt eine potenzielle Serienfertigung. Neben den theoretischen Grundlagen, dem Stand der Technik, den Systemspezifikationen sowie den konstruktiven und experimentellen Resultaten befasst sich die Arbeit eingehend mit technologischen und konstruktiven Randbedingungen, einer analytischen Systembeschreibung und der Behandlung des Lösungsraumes für diese Klasse von Spektralapparaten.

In der medizinischen Diagnostik, Bioverfahrenstechnik und Umwelttechnik besteht ein steigender Bedarf an kompakten Analysegeräten für die schnelle Vor-Ort-Detektion spezifischer biochemischer Substanzen. Im Rahmen der Arbeit wurde daher ein neuartiger faseroptischer Sensor entwickelt, der in der Lage ist kleinste Brechzahländerungen, z.B. durch molekulare Bindungsprozesse, zu detektieren. Die hohe Empfindlichkeit an der vergoldeten Spitze der Sensorfaser beruht auf der Oberflächenplasmonenresonanz (SPR) einer einzelnen Mantelmode, die durch ein langperiodisches Fasergitter (LPG) ermöglicht wird. Die Übertragungsfunktion des Sensors wurde unter Verwendung eines Schichtwellenleitermodells schnell und präzise modelliert. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass in einem wässrigen Umgebungsmedium die höchste Empfindlichkeit im Spektralbereich um 660 nm unter Annahme einer rund 35~nm dicken und 2~mm langen Goldbeschichtung erreicht wird. Weiterhin wurde nachgewiesen, dass mit einer intermediale Schicht aus Cadmiumsulfid die SPR der Mantelmode in einen höheren Spektralbereich verschoben und damit die Empfindlichkeit deutlich verbessert werden kann. Um eine geringe Polarisationsabhängigkeit des Sensors sicherzustellen, wurde ein nasschemisches Abscheidungsverfahren für die allseitige Goldbeschichtung der Sensorfaser entwickelt. Die spezifischen optischen Eigenschaften dieser Abscheidungen wurden mit Hilfe von LPGs untersucht, die durch eine spezielle UV-Belichtung hergestellt wurden. Die Experimente ergaben, dass die komplexe Permittivität nasschemischer Abscheidungen mit Schichtdicken oberhalb von 50~nm mit aufgedampften Goldschichten vergleichbar ist. Die Verluste der adressierten Mantelmoden wurden mit einer äquivalenten Sensoranordnung aus zwei identischen LPG untersucht. Dabei konnte ein Skalierfaktor abgeleitet werden, der die effiziente Berechnung der Mantelmodendämpfung erlaubt. Es wurde nachgewiesen, dass die Brechzahlauflösung etablierter volumenoptischer SPR-Sensoren mit einer einfachen Transmissionsmessung an einer geeigneten Wellenlänge erreicht werden kann. Die äußerst kompakte Sensorfläche des faseroptischen Sensors ermöglicht darüber hinaus die Untersuchung deutlich kleinerer Probenvolumina ohne ein zusätzliches mikrofluidisches System zu benötigen. Es wurde gezeigt, dass sekundäre Brechzahländerungen aufgrund von Temperaturschwankungen oder unspezifische Ablagerungen durch eine differentielle Auswertung zweier identischer Sensoren kompensiert werden können. Die verbleibende Querempfindlichkeit wird durch die Polarisationsabhängigkeit der Sensoren bestimmt. Die geringste Querempfindlichkeit konnte daher mit einer homogenen nasschemischen abgeschiedenen Sensorfläche nachgewiesen werden. / Compact analysis devices which facilitate the rapid detection of specific biochemical substances are in increasing demand in the fields of point-of-care medical diagnostics, bioprocess engineering and environmental engineering. The aim of this work was therefore to design a novel fiber-optic sensor able to detect small refractive index changes such as those caused by molecular binding processes. The high level of sensitivity at the gold-plated tip of the sensor fiber stems from the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of a single cladding mode, which is the result of a long-period fiber grating (LPG). The transfer function of the sensor was calculated quickly and accurately using a slab waveguide model. It was observed that the highest level of sensitivity in an aqueous ambient medium is achieved at a wavelength of 660 nm assuming a gold coating of 35 nm in thickness and 2 mm in length. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that an intermedial cadmium sulfide layer shifts the SPR of the cladding mode towards higher wavelengths, thus leading to significantly enhanced sensitivity. An electroless plating process for the omnidirectional deposition of gold on the sensor fiber was developed in order to minimize the sensor\'s dependency on polarization. The specific optical properties of the gold layer deposited were investigated with the aid of LPGs fabricated using a special UV exposure method. The experiments showed the complex permittivity of electroless platings with a thickness of over 50 nm to be comparable with that of evaporated gold layers. The losses of the addressed cladding modes were investigated using an equivalent sensor setup consisting of two identical LPGs. This facilitated the determination of a scaling factor enabling the effcient calculation of cladding mode attenuation. It was demonstrated that it is possible to obtain the refractive index resolution of established volume optical SPR sensors with the aid of simple transmission measurements at a specific wavelength. Moreover, the extremely compact sensing area of the fiber-optic sensor enables the investigation of smaller sample volumes without the need for an additional microfluidic system. Secondary refractive index changes caused by temperature fluctuations or unspecific binding events can be compensated for by means of the differential interrogation of two identical fiber-optic sensors. The residual cross sensitivity is determined by the polarisation dependency of the sensor. The lowest cross sensitivity was therefore demonstrated in combination with a homogeneous electroless plated sensor surface.

In dieser Arbeit werden Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen zur Laserstrukturierung von Prägewerkezeugen sowie zur Abformung von Gitterstrukturen mit Gitterperioden von kleiner gleich 2 µm in verschiedene Folien und Werkstoffverbunde präsentiert und diskutiert. Die hierfür entwickelte Kombination von Laserprozessen wird erläutert. Des Weiteren sind die auf Basis der experimentellen Untersuchungen ermittelten Parameterräume aufgezeigt und in Bezug zu theoretischen Beschreibungsmodellen gesetzt. Limitationen und Potentiale der einzelnen Teilprozesse werden dargelegt. Unter Anwendung der beschriebenen Strukturierungs- und Prozessparameter ist die Erstellung funktional einsetzbarer Prägewerkzeuge möglich. Für die Strukturübertragung konnte die Abformbarkeit der in die Oberflächen der Prägewerkzeuge eingebrachten beugungsoptisch wirksamen Gitterstrukturen mit Gitterperioden von kleiner gleich 2 µm bei Kontaktzeiten im Millisekundenbereich nachgewiesen werden.

An array of grating couplers is studied to be used for beam steering in a wireless optical communication system. This structure is designed using a rib waveguide with a silicon thickness of 220nm and an etch depth of 70nm using 2μm silica substrate. TE polarized input light with wavelength of 1550nm is coupled into the feed waveguide. The structure is optimized based on the angular coverage, directed power, and beam efficiency of the radiated main beam of an individual grating coupler. The main beam radiated by optimized grating coupler has a beamwidth of 10.3°×30.7°. The designed 1-D array of the fifteen grating couplers provides tunability in the range of around 30 degrees which is required for a point to pint wireless optical communication transmitter.

Searching with the key word “measuring instrument of traditional Chinese medical massage” in CNK, 62 academic literature papers can be found. According to statistics, research of “measuring instrument of traditional Chinese medical massage” are carried out in 5 directions, including normalized operation, high-tech based teaching and training, perception analysis of massage manipulation force, the structural design of robot, and the design of measuring instrument. As the manipulation of traditional Chinese medical massage is a multi-field medical effect, without the supporting of measurement of high-tech based multi-field sensor of massage actions, the quantification, normalized and standardized operation, scientific and modern teaching, microcosmic, precise and quantified perception, robotized and intellectualized actuation implementation, and design of measuring instrument are hard to realize. Meanwhile, the online diagnosis and treatment service model of traditional Chinese medical massage based on “internet plus” depends on the establishment of digital database of massage manipulation, which is based on the creation of high-tech sensor system of traditional Chinese medical massage measurement. Thus, the measuring sensor of the traditional Chinese medical massage manipulation is an unavoidable key scientific problem for scientific, normalized, and internet-enabled traditional Chinese medical massage. Flexible fiber grating sensor array will be a research direction for implementing multi-field measurement of traditional Chinese medical massage manipulation.

L’utilisation de réseaux optiques dans la géométrie de diffraction conique a connu ces dernières décennies un essor remarquable dans les domaines UV et X grâce à ses propriétés particulières: absence de l’écrantage derrière les traits du réseau aux incidences rasantes, faible dispersion angulaire limitant l’étirement temporel, efficacité de diffraction élevée. Son usage s’est imposé pour la monochromatisation d’impulsions ultra-brèves. C’est aussi l’une des deux options retenues par la Nasa pour le spectrographe à réseau de l’Observatoire à rayon X de la future mission Lynx. Ce travail de thèse contribue au développement de méthodes numériques pour modéliser les effets de diffraction par des réseaux dans une géométrie encore peu étudiée sous cet aspect. La complexité de cette étude réside dans le couplage inhérent entre les deux états fondamentaux de polarisation. Du point de vue numérique, il impose un calcul ‘’vectoriel’’, là où, en géométrie classique des calculs scalaires suffisent. Notre travail s’est appuyé sur les méthodes numériques de calcul de diffraction par des structures périodiques déjà développées dans le cadre de la géométrie classique. Ces méthodes sont basées sur la théorie différentielle, qui consiste à propager une série d’ondes planes au travers de la zone modulée. La méthode différentielle employée est complétée par l’usage de l’algorithme de propagation de la matrice réflectivité. On contourne ainsi certains problèmes de convergence. Dans la partie théorique de ce travail, ces algorithmes sont étendus pour s’adapter aux cas de géométrie oblique. Sur cette base théorique, nous avons pu développer un code de calcul, nommé COROX, fonctionnant dans toutes les géométries d’utilisation. Un certain nombre de réseau types ont été étudiés, tant en géométrie oblique que classique, pour mettre en évidence, non seulement les efficacités de diffraction mais encore les effets de polarisation, (paramètres de Stokes et matrice de Müller) ainsi que les phases spectrales. Des propriétés intéressantes ont été remarquées, comme l’existence d’une composante circulaire non négligeable diffractée par réseau lamellaire quand l’onde incidente polarisée à 45° par rapport au plan du réseau. Le comportement de la phase spectrale est également une donnée significative pour une future gestion d’impulsions ultra-brèves. Des mesures de diffraction ont été effectuées sur la ligne Métrologie du Synchrotron SOLEIL, sur un réseau blazé de 150 traits/mm. Un accord raisonnable entre efficacités mesurées et calculées est constaté si l’on tient compte de la forte rugosité du réseau étudié. / The conical geometry of optical grating diffraction has been suggested and studied, in the last 10 years, for cutting edge applications in the VUV and X-ray domains, due to its specific properties such as: absence of screen inside the grating grooves at grazing incidence, low angular dispersion which limits the temporal spread of short pulses, very high diffraction efficiencies. It has been accepted as the first choice technology for VUV short pulses monochromatization. It is also one of the two options selected by NASA, for the grating spectrograph of the future X-ray Observatory of the Lynx mission. This thesis reports our contribution to the development of numerical methods in order to model the effects of diffraction by optical gratings in this still little studied geometry. This study is made more complex by an inherent coupling between the two fundamental polarization modes. From the numerical aspect, it requires performing “vectorial” computations, whereas, in a classical diffraction geometry, scalar computations are sufficient. Our work is based on numerical methods already developed for modeling optical diffraction by periodic structures in the framework of classical geometry. These methods are using on the differential theory, whose main concept is propagating a set of plane waves throughout the modulated area. We use the differential method together with an algorithm of reflectivity matrix propagation. It overcomes some of the convergence issues. In the theoretical part of this work, reflectivity matrix algorithms are extended to the case of oblique geometry. On these theoretical grounds, we developed a computation code, named COROX, which can be applied in any geometry. A number of typical grating cases have been studied, both in the conical and of le classical one. The output is not only the diffraction efficiencies, but also the polarization properties (Stokes parameters, Müller matrix), as well as the spectral phases. Interesting properties have been noticed, such as the presence of a non-negligible circularly polarized component diffracted from a lamellar grating when the incident wave is linearly polarized at 45° from the grating plane. The spectral phase behavior is also a significant data for an eventual shape tayloring of ultrashort pulses. Diffraction efficiency measurements have been performed on the Metrology beamline of Synchrotron SOLEIL, using a 150 lines/mm blazed grating as a test object. A reasonable agreement between measured and computed efficiencies has been obtained, provided that the rather high roughness of this grating is taken into account.

L'analyse spectrale d'une scène infrarouge permet une meilleure identification des objets la composant. Il est possible d'obtenir du filtrage spectral grâce à des résonances optiques au sein de nanostructures. Cette thèse traite de l'utilisation de structures à réseau sub-longueur d'onde pour obtenir des filtres spectraux à l'échelle d'un pixel de détection. Je me suis concentré sur l'étude de filtres à résonance de mode guidé, constitué d'un réseau de couplage associé à une couche mince diélectrique, qui nécessite typiquement de grandes surfaces pour fonctionner. J'ai mené une étude numérique du comportement spectral et angulaire de ces structures et j'ai envisagé deux possibilités pour obtenir un filtrage sur de petites dimensions: l'utilisation d'une cavité résonante dans le guide d'onde à l'aide de miroirs latéraux et l'utilisation de réseaux métalliques.L'analyse numérique de la réponse optique des structures à réseau métallique montre qu'il est possible d'obtenir une extension spatiale limitée du champ électromagnétique dans le guide d'onde à la résonance. Grâce à cette faible extension, j'ai pu étudier numériquement des filtres à résonance de mode guidé foisonnants sur des longueurs aussi faibles que 30 µm. J'ai aussi pu établir un processus de fabrication en salle blanche puis caractériser des filtres de la taille d'un pixel de détection infrarouge.Finalement, j'ai étudié la possibilité de fabriquer des mosaïques de filtres à résonance de mode guidé pour le filtrage spectral à proximité d'un détecteur plan focal. J'ai pu démontrer que les dimensions, les transmissions résonantes et les tolérances angulaires de ces filtres les rendent compatibles avec une telle utilisation. J'ai alors pu montrer un exemple d'architecture simple de caméra multi-spectrale infrarouge mettant en jeu une mosaïque de filtres à résonance de mode guidé. / Spectral analysis of an infrared scene allows for a better identification of its components. Nanotechnologies offer new opportunities to achieve spectral filtering thanks to optical resonances. In this thesis, I use sub-wavelength gratings to achieve spectral filtering on areas as small as a pixel. I focused on the study of guided-mode resonance filters, made of a coupling grating and a thin dielectric layer acting as a waveguide. This structure typically needs large surfaces to filter infrared light. However, I proposed two possible modifications of this structure: either using a resonant cavity or using metallic gratings.Numerical analysis of the optical response of structures with a metallic grating showed that the spatial extension of the electromagnetic field is limited at the resonant wavelength. Thanks to this short extension, I is possible to achieve filtering with only 30 µm-long guided-mode resonance filters. I also fabricated and characterized those pixel-sized filters.Finally, I studied mosaics of small guided-mode resonance filters. I showed that the dimensions, the resonant transmissions and the angular acceptance of those mosaics are compatible with using them inside multi-spectral cameras. I also showed a sample architecture for an infrared multispectral-camera using a mosaics of guided-mode resonance filters.

Communication using fiber optics is an integral part of modern societies and one of the most important parts of this is the grating filter of a laser. In this report we introduce both the periodic and the non-periodic grating filter and discuss how there can be resonance in these structures. We then provide an exact method for calculating the spectrum of these grating filters and study three different methods to calculate this approximately. The first one is the \emph{Fourier approximation} which is very simple. For the studied filters the fundamental form of the results for this method is correct, even though the details are not. The second method consists of calculating the spectrum exactly for some values and then use interpolation by splines. This method gives satisfactory results for the types of gratings analysed. Finally a method of perturbation is provided for the periodic grating filter as well as an outline for how this can be extended to the non-periodic grating filter. For the studied filters the results of this method are very promising. The method of perturbations may also give a deeper understanding of how a filter works and we therefore conclude that it would be of interest to study the method of perturbations further, while all the studied methods can be useful for computation of the spectrum depending on the required precision. / Fiberoptisk kommunikation utgör en viktig del i moderna samhällen och en av de grudläggande delarna av detta är Bragg-filter i lasrar. I den här rapporten introducerar vi både det periodiska och det icke-periodiska Bragg-filtret och diskuterar hur resonans kan uppstå i dessa. Vi presenterar sedan en exakt metod för att beräkna spektrumet av dessa filter samt studerar tre approximativa metoder för att beräkna spektrumet. Den första metoden är \emph{Fourier-approximationen} som är väldigt enkel. För de studerade filtrena blir de grundläggande formerna korrekta med Fourier-approximationen, medan detaljerna är fel. Den andra metoden består av att räkna ut spektrumet exakt för några punkter och sedan interpolera med hjälp av splines. Den här metoden ger mycket bra resultat för de studerade filtrena. Till sist presenteras en metod baserad på störningsteori för det periodiska filtret, samt en översikt över hur det här kan utökas till det icke-periodiska filtret. Denna metod ger mycket lovande resulat och den kan även ge djupare insikt i hur ett filter fungerar. Vi sluter oss därför till att det vore intressant att vidare studera metoder med störningar, men även att alla studerade metoder kan vara användabara för beräkningen av spektra beroende på vilken precision som krävs.

The objective of this dissertation is to generate high power ultrashort optical pulses from an all-semiconductor mode-locked laser system. The limitations of semiconductor optical amplifier in high energy, ultrashort pulse amplification are reviewed. A method to overcome the fundamental limit of small stored energy inside semiconductor optical amplifier called "eXtreme Chirped Pulse Amplification (X-CPA)" is proposed and studied theoretically and experimentally. The key benefits of the concept of X-CPA are addressed. Based on theoretical and experimental study, an all-semiconductor mode-locked X-CPA system consisting of a mode-locked master oscillator, an optical pulse pre-stretcher, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) pulse picker, an extreme pulse stretcher/compressor, cascaded optical amplifiers, and a bulk grating compressor is successfully demonstrated and generates >kW record peak power. A potential candidate for generating high average power from an X-CPA system, novel grating coupled surface emitting semiconductor laser (GCSEL) devices, are studied experimentally. The first demonstration of mode-locking with GCSELs and associated amplification characteristics of grating coupled surface emitting SOAs will be presented. In an effort to go beyond the record setting results of the X-CPA system, a passive optical cavity amplification technique in conjunction with the X-CPA system is constructed, and studied experimentally and theoretically.

Blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) have a delicate lattice structure existing between chiral nematic and isotropic phases, with a stable temperature range of about 2 K. But due to short coherent length, these self-assembled nano-structured BPLCs have a fast response time. In the past three decades, the application of BPLC has been rather limited because of its narrow temperature range. In 2002, Kikuchi et al. developed a polymer stabilization method to extend the blue-phase temperature range to more than 60 K. This opens a new gateway for display and photonic applications. In this dissertation, I investigate the material properties of polymer-stabilized BPLCs. According the Gerber’s model, the Kerr constant of a BPLC is linearly proportional to the dielectric anisotropy of the LC host. Therefore, in the frequency domain, the relaxation of the Kerr constant follows the same trend as the dielectric relaxation of the host LC. I have carried out experiments to validate the theoretical predictions, and proposed a model called extended Cole-Cole model to describe the relaxation of the Kerr constant. On the other hand, because of the linear relationship, the Kerr constant should have the same sign as the dielectric anisotropy of the LC host; that is, a positive or negative Kerr constant results from positive (∆ε > 0) or negative host LCs (∆ε < 0), respectively. BPLCs with a positive Kerr constant have been studied extensively, but there has been no study on negative ∆ε polymer-stabilized BPLCs. Therefore, I have prepared a BPLC mixture using a negative ∆ε LC host and investigated its electro-optic properties. I have demonstrated that indeed the induced birefringence and Kerr constant are of negative sign. Due to the fast response time of BPLCs, color sequential display is made possible without color breakup. By removing the spatial color filters, the optical efficiency and resolution density are both tripled. With other advantages such as alignment free and wide viewing angle, polymer-stabilized BPLC is emerging as a promising candidate for next-generation displays. However, the optical efficiency of the BPLC cell is relatively low and the operating voltage is quite high using conventional in-plane-switching electrodes. I have proposed several device structures for improving the optical efficiency of transmissive BPLC cells. Significant improvement in transmittance is achieved by using enhanced protrusion electrodes, and a 100% transmittance is achievable using complementary enhanced protrusion electrode structure. For a conventional transmissive blue phase LCD, although it has superb performances indoor, when exposed to strong sunlight the displayed images could be washed out, leading to a degraded contrast ratio and readability. To overcome the sunlight readability problem, a common approach is to adaptively boost the backlight intensity, but the tradeoff is in the increased power consumption. Here, I have proposed a transflective blue phase LCD where the backlight is turned on in dark surroundings while ambient light is used to illuminate the displayed images in bright surroundings. Therefore, a good contrast ratio is preserved even for a strong ambient. I have proposed two transflective blue phase LCD structures, both of which have single cell gap, single gamma driving, reasonably wide view angle, low power consumption, and high optical efficiency. Among all the 3D technologies, integral imaging is an attractive approach due to its high efficiency and real image depth. However, the optimum observation distance should be adjusted as the displayed image depth changes. This requires a fast focal length change of an adaptive lens array. BPLC adaptive lenses are a good candidate because of their intrinsic fast response time. I have proposed several BPLC lens structures which are polarization independent and exhibit a parabolic phase profile in addition to fast response time. To meet the low power consumption requirement set by Energy Star, high optical efficiency is among the top lists of next-generation LCDs. In this dissertation, I have demonstrated some new device structures for improving the optical efficiency of a polymerstabilized BPLC transmissive display and proposed sunlight readable transflective blue-phase LCDs by utilizing ambient light to reduce the power consumption. Moreover, we have proposed several blue-phase LC adaptive lenses for high efficiency 3D displays.