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Fabrication of Polymer Microspheres for Optical Resonator and Laser Applications
Published on: June 2, 2017
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Optically induced mode splitting in self-assembled, high quality-factor conjugated polymer microcavities.
Daniel Braam1, Soh Kushida2, Robert Niemöller1
1Fakultät für Physik and CENIDE, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 1, 47057 Duisburg, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|January 20, 2016
Summary
We observed that laser light can tune whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in fluorescent polymer microspheres. This light-induced oxidation changes the sphere
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) are confined light waves within microspheres.
- Highly fluorescent π-conjugated copolymers offer unique optical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate WGMs in novel fluorescent polymer microspheres.
- Understand the effect of laser irradiation on WGM spectra.
- Explore light-induced oxidation as a tuning mechanism.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of self-assembled single microspheres from a π-conjugated copolymer.
- Characterization of optical properties and Q-factors.
- Analysis of WGM splitting under continuous laser irradiation.
- Comparison with theoretical models of distorted spheres.
- Environmental testing in various gases.
Main Results:
- Microspheres exhibited high Q-factors (up to 10^4).
- Laser irradiation caused splitting of degenerate WGMs into multiplets.
- Observed spectral splitting corresponds to a transition from spherical to prolate spheroid microcavity.
- Line separation correlated with ellipticity and azimuthal mode number.
- Photooxidation identified as the cause of microcavity distortion.
Conclusions:
- Light-induced oxidation provides in-situ tuning of polymer microsphere optical properties.
- Photooxidation can be harnessed to modify whispering gallery modes.
- Demonstrates a novel method for tuning optically active polymer structures.
