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Reconfigurable Integrated Optofluidic Droplet Laser Arrays
Han Zhang1, Prithviraj Palit1, Yonghao Liu1
1Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|May 22, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed an optofluidic droplet laser array on a silicon chip. This miniaturized coherent light source enables on-demand droplet generation and characterization for advanced sensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Optofluidics
- Photonics
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Optofluidic lasers offer miniaturized light sources but are limited by single-cavity operation.
- This limitation restricts applications in high-throughput sensing and on-chip spectroscopy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate an optofluidic droplet laser array on a silicon chip.
- To enable on-demand generation, removal, and regeneration of multiple droplet optical cavities.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a silicon chip with integrated microfluidics and a 2x2 nozzle array.
- Generation and control of optofluidic droplet arrays with diameters from 115 to 475 μm.
- Development of an image-based method for simultaneous lasing threshold analysis.
Main Results:
- Successful demonstration of an optofluidic droplet laser array.
- Droplet laser array lasing thresholds ranged from 0.63 to 2.02 μJ/mm².
- Image-based threshold analysis yielded consistent results compared to spectrum-based methods.
Conclusions:
- The optofluidic droplet laser array is a promising technology for integrated coherent light sources.
- This technology facilitates cost-effective, on-chip solutions for point-of-care applications.
- The developed methods enable efficient characterization of multi-cavity optofluidic laser systems.
