Patent ID: 8724063

Claim:
A liquid crystal optical apparatus, comprising: a first substrate unit including a first substrate having a first major surface, a plurality of first electrodes provided on the first major surface, the first electrodes extending in a first direction and being arranged in a direction non-parallel to the first direction, and a plurality of second electrodes provided on the first major surface to extend in the first direction, one of the second electrodes being disposed between a central axis and one of the two most proximal first electrodes, one other of the second electrodes being disposed between the central axis and the other of the two most proximal first electrodes, the central axis being parallel to the first direction to pass through a midpoint of a line segment connecting centers of the two most proximal first electrodes in a second direction parallel to the first major surface and perpendicular to the first direction; a second substrate unit including a second substrate having a second major surface opposing the first major surface, and an opposing electrode provided on the second major surface to oppose the first electrodes and the second electrodes; a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate unit and the second substrate unit; and a drive unit electrically connected to the first electrodes, the second electrodes, and the opposing electrode and configured to form a refractive index distribution in the liquid crystal layer by controlling potential differences among the opposing electrode, the first electrodes, and the second electrodes, the refractive index distribution having an end portion, a central portion, a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a fourth portion, the end portion being located on the center of the one of the two most proximal first electrodes in the second direction, the central portion being located on the central axis, the first portion being located between the end portion and the central portion, the second portion being located between the first portion and the central portion, the third portion being located between the second portion and the central portion, the fourth portion being located between the third portion and the central portion, a refractive index in the refractive index distribution increasing monotonously from the end portion toward the central portion, a first increase rate of the refractive index of the first portion being higher than a second increase rate of the refractive index of the second portion, the second increase rate being lower than a third increase rate of the refractive index of the third portion, the third increase rate being higher than a fourth increase rate of the refractive index of the fourth portion.