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Optically Transportable Optofluidic Microlasers with Liquid Crystal Cavities Tuned by the Electric Field
Alexandr Jonáš1, Zdeněk Pilát1, Jan Ježek1
1Institute of Scientific Instruments of CAS, Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 61264 Brno, Czech Republic.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 22, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed electrically tunable microlasers using liquid crystals in microfluidic chips. These transportable optofluidic devices offer reconfigurable light sources and sensitive environmental sensors.
Area of Science:
- Optofluidics
- Photonics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Liquid crystal microdroplets offer tunable optical properties for reconfigurable optofluidic microsystems.
- Active optical microcavities are crucial for coherent light sources and sensitive environmental sensors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate transportable optofluidic microlasers tunable by electric fields.
- To explore the use of liquid crystal emulsion droplets in microfluidic chips with liquid electrodes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing optical tweezers to manipulate fluorophore-doped radial nematic liquid crystal emulsion droplets.
- Employing transparent liquid electrodes for electric field application without optical absorption.
- Characterizing spectral tuning response under varying optical trapping powers and thermal stimulation.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated electrically tunable optofluidic microlasers.
- Observed reversible phase transitions induced by electric fields below the bulk melting temperature.
- Showcased independent control over electric and thermal stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Viability of creating on-demand, electrically tunable, optically transported microlasers.
- Potential for integrated microphotonic and sensing systems within microfluidic chips.
