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Updated: Jan 30, 2026
Fabrication of Nanoheight Channels Incorporating Surface Acoustic Wave Actuation via Lithium Niobate for Acoustic Nanofluidics
Published on: February 5, 2020
Optofluidic platform using liquid crystals in lithium niobate microchannel
Silvio Bonfadini1,2, Fabrizio Ciciulla3, Luigino Criante4
1Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milano, 20133, Italy.
Abstract:
We demonstrate the all optical control of the molecular orientation of nematic liquid crystals confined in microfluidic channels engraved in lithium niobate. Microchannels are obtained by a novel approach based on femtosecond pulse laser micromachining carried on in controlled atmosphere. The combined effect of photovoltaic and pyroelectric fields generated by light in lithium niobate crystals on the liquid crystal orientation, is reported for the first time. The total space charge field and its dependence on the incident light intensity can be controlled by changing the direction of pump light propagation through the microfluidic chip. The results reported in this manuscript demonstrate that liquid crystals and lithium niobate can efficiently be combined in microfluidic configuration, in order to push forward a novel class of optofluidic devices.
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