Issue 23, 2015

Tunable self-imaging effect using hybrid optofluidic waveguides

Abstract

Multimode interference (MMI) is a typical self-imaging phenomenon and has been widely exploited for optical devices like couplers and splitters. Usually, it utilizes solid waveguides only and thus has very limited tunability in self-imaging properties. This paper reports our original work on tunable MMI using a hybrid optofluidic waveguide. It is generated by the diffusion between miscible flows in a microchannel and consists of two parts: gradient-index liquid–liquid waveguide for light modulation and step-index liquid–solid waveguide for image formation. Simulation and experiments have shown successful realization of the real-time tuning of self-imaging properties. For detail, the image point (focal spot) width could be modulated from 7 μm to 16 μm, and the self-imaging period changes in the range of 500 μm by varying the fluid properties. It is foreseeable that such a hybrid optofluidic waveguide may find wider applications in lab-on-a-chip systems and optical devices.

Graphical abstract: Tunable self-imaging effect using hybrid optofluidic waveguides

  • This article is part of the themed collection: Optofluidics

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Sep 2015
Accepted
30 Sep 2015
First published
01 Okt 2015

Lab Chip, 2015,15, 4398-4403

Author version available

Tunable self-imaging effect using hybrid optofluidic waveguides

Y. Shi, L. Liang, X. Q. Zhu, X. M. Zhang and Y. Yang, Lab Chip, 2015, 15, 4398 DOI: 10.1039/C5LC01066G

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