Laser flash photolysis with nanoliter samples: photonic crystal fibers as ultrasmall smart test tubes

Abstract

Photonic crystal fibers play a dual function as a sample container as well as a photonic device supporting mode structure, and in doing so offer new opportunities for carrying out laser flash photolysis experiments with ultrasmall samples. Monitoring light can be transmitted in the fiber by total internal reflection or by the photonic bandgap guiding effect, depending upon the relative refractive index of the fiber material (usually silica) and the liquid filling the holes. Both offer opportunities for transient monitoring in time scales as short as tens of nanoseconds, with enhanced signals with respect to conventional (large sample) laser flash photolysis work.