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Electrothermally Driven Fluorescence Switching by Liquid Crystal Elastomers Based On Dimensional Photonic Crystals
Changxu Lin1,2, Yin Jiang2,3, Cheng-An Tao4
1Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University , 361005 Xiamen, P.R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 16, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed a novel active organic-inorganic photonic crystal for electrothermal fluorescence switching. This tunable photonic band gap allows voltage-controlled fluorescence intensity modulation in devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optoelectronics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Photonic crystals offer unique light manipulation properties.
- Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) exhibit reversible shape changes with thermal stimuli.
- Active control of optical properties is crucial for advanced devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate an active organic-inorganic one-dimensional photonic crystal.
- To achieve electrothermal fluorescence switching using LCEs and TiO2 nanoparticles.
- To demonstrate voltage-controlled tuning of photonic band gaps and fluorescence intensity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a 1D photonic crystal via spin-coating LCEs and TiO2 nanoparticles.
- Utilizing the electrothermal effect of LCEs to tune the photonic band gap (λmax).
- Investigating the fluorescence enhancement of organic dyes (e.g., rhodamine B) by controlling spectral overlap.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated voltage-induced tuning of the photonic band gap through electrothermal conversion.
- Successfully controlled the fluorescence intensity of rhodamine B by adjusting the photonic band gap.
- Achieved fast, adjustable, and reversible fluorescence switching via applied voltage.
Conclusions:
- Established a control chain from electrothermal stimulus to fluorescence intensity modulation via photonic band gap.
- Validated the mechanism using SEM, UV-vis reflectance, and FDTD simulations.
- Showcased the potential of combining photonic crystals and LCEs for active optical devices.
