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Semiconducting Nanowire-Based Optoelectronic Fibers
Wei Yan1, Yunpeng Qu1, Tapajyoti Das Gupta1
1Laboratory of Photonic Materials and Fibre Devices (FIMAP), Institute of Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|May 13, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to integrate semiconductor nanowires into fibers for flexible electronics. This breakthrough enables high-performance optoelectronic devices within textiles, opening new possibilities for smart fabrics and sensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optoelectronics
Background:
- Integrating semiconductor optoelectronics into fibers is challenging due to difficulties in achieving high light absorption, controlled microstructure, and efficient electrical contact.
- Semiconducting nanowires offer potential for light absorption and charge extraction but have been incompatible with fiber materials and processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the first integration of semiconducting nanowire-based devices along the length and at the tip of polymer fibers.
- To overcome the incompatibility of nanowire attributes with fiber processing for advanced optoelectronic applications.
Main Methods:
- Combined scalable thermal drawing with sonochemical treatment to grow nanowires from amorphous selenium domains.
- Utilized first-principles density-functional theory calculations to understand and control nanowire growth orientation.
Main Results:
- Achieved successful integration of semiconducting nanowires within polymer fibers.
- Demonstrated fiber-integrated devices with unprecedented performance due to tailored nanowire orientation.
- Developed an all-fiber-integrated fluorescence imaging system.
Conclusions:
- This novel platform enables scalable fabrication of high-performance fiber-integrated optoelectronic devices.
- Opens new opportunities for advanced sensing, optical probes, and smart textiles.
- Advances the field of flexible electronics and functional fibers.
