Title :
Optical switch based on thermally-activated dye-doped biomolecular thin films
Author :
Cheng, D.K. ; Liu, Y. ; Sonek, G.J.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., California Univ., Irvine, CA, USA
fDate :
4/1/1995 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A new optical switch has been developed, based on laser-induced heating and the temperature-dependent fluorescence emission properties of biomolecular thin films comprised of the phospholipid 15OPC. For films doped with the Laurdan dye probe, a 200 mW CW Nd:YAG laser (1060 nm) was used to heat submicron thick films by /spl sim/5/spl deg/C, and induce switching between two phase states of the bilayer, at the peak emission wavelengths of 440 nm and 490 nm, with rise and fall times of 50 ms and 275 ms, respectively. The thermal switching times are shown to be dependent on the initial device setpoint temperature, and the thermal sensitivity of the film in the phase transition region.<>
Keywords :
biomolecular electronics; fluorescence; laser beam effects; optical communication equipment; optical films; optical switches; organic compounds; sensitivity; thermo-optical effects; thin film devices; 1060 nm; 200 mW; 275 ms; 440 nm; 490 nm; 50 ms; CW Nd:YAG laser; Laurdan dye probe; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; biomolecular thin films; induce switching; laser-induced heating; optical switch; peak emission wavelengths; phase states; phase transition region; phospholipid 15OPC; setpoint temperature; submicron thick films; temperature-dependent fluorescence emission properties; thermal sensitivity; thermal switching times; thermally-activated dye-doped biomolecular thin films; Biological materials; Biomedical optical imaging; Communication switching; Crystallization; Fluorescence; Infrared heating; Optical films; Optical materials; Optical polymers; Optical switches;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
