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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Fabrication and Testing of Microfluidic Optomechanical Oscillators
Published on: May 29, 2014
Theoretical and experimental study of optothermal expansion and optothermal microactuator
Dongxian Zhang1, Haijun Zhang, Chao Liu
1Stete Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China. zhangdx@zju.edu.cn
Abstract:
A new type of microactuators based on optothermal (OT) expansion is introduced. The mechanism of the OT expansion is theoretically analyzed, and comprehensive models for OT expansion and bi-direction microactuator are presented in this paper. An expansion arm and a microswitch-like OT microactuator with 1200microm-length are fabricated by an excimer laser micromachining system using single layer material. A laser diode (650nm) is employed as the external power source to activate the arm and the microactuator. Experimental results indicate that the OT expansion increment is approximately linear with the laser power irradiating the expansion arm, coinciding with theoretical predictions quite well. As to the switch-like microactuator, an enlarged bi-direction deflection has been obviously observed. The OT expansion and deflection amplitude that can reach micron scale is generally large enough for most microsystems. The new technique of OT microactuators can be widely applied in those fields where simple structure, easy fabrication, large displacement, wireless and remote controlling are required.
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