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Results for “Optofluidics”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Optofluidic memory and self-induced nonlinear optical phase change for reservoir computing in silicon photonics

Nanophotonics allows to employ light-matter interaction to induce nonlinear optical effects and realize non-conventional memory and computation capabilities, however to date, light-liquid interaction was not considered as a potential mechanism to achieve computation on a nanoscale. Here, we experimentally demonstrate self-induced phase change effect which relies on the coupling between geometric changes of thin liquid film to optical properties of photonic waveguide modes, and then employ it for neuromorphic computing. In our optofluidic silicon photonics system we utilize thermocapillary-based deformation of thin liquid film capable to induce nonlinear effect which is more than one order of magnitude higher compared to the more traditional heat-based thermo-optical effect, and allowing operation as a nonlinear actuator and memory element, both residing at the same compact spatial region. The resulting dynamics allows to implement Reservoir Computing at spatial region which is approximately five orders of magnitude smaller compared to state-of-the-art experimental liquid-based systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thin liquid film as an optical nonlinear-nonlocal medium and memory element in integrated optofluidic reservoir computer

Understanding light–matter interaction lies at the core of our ability to harness physical effects and to translate them into new capabilities realized in modern integrated photonics platforms. Here, we present the design and characterization of optofluidic components in an integrated photonics platform and computationally predict a series of physical effects that rely on thermocapillary-driven interaction between waveguide modes and topography changes of optically thin liquid dielectric film. Our results indicate that this coupling introduces substantial self-induced phase change and transmittance change in a single channel waveguide, transmittance through the Bragg grating waveguide, and nonlocal interaction between adjacent waveguides. We then employ the self-induced effects together with the inherent built-in finite relaxation time of the liquid film, to demonstrate that the light-driven deformation can serve as a reservoir computer capable of performing digital and analog tasks, where the gas–liquid interface operates both as a nonlinear actuator and as an optical memory element.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Wireless optofluidic systems for programmable in vivo pharmacology and optogenetics

Provided are implantable, injectable and/or surface mounted biomedical devices and related methods for interfacing with a target tissue. The devices have a substrate, one or more microfluidic channels embedded in or supported by the substrate and a fluid actuator in operational communication with one or more reservoirs and responsive to a wireless control signal. The components of the device are specially configured and packaged to be ultra-thin and mechanically compliant. In some embodiments, the devices are self-powered and fully implantable. The devices can be shaped to provide injection in a minimally invasive manner, thereby avoiding unnecessary tissue damage and providing a platform for long-term implantation for interfacing with biological tissue.

Rogers, John A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Raman-based sorting of microbial cells to link functions to their genes

In our recent work, we developed an optofluidic platform that allows a direct link to be made between the phenotypes (functions) and the genotypes (genes) of microbial cells within natural communities. By combining stable isotope probing, optical tweezers, Raman microspectroscopy, and microfluidics, the platform performs automated Raman-based sorting of taxa from within a complex community in terms of their functional properties. In comparison with manual sorting approaches, our method provides high throughput (up to 500 cells per hour) and very high sorting accuracy (98.3 ± 1.7%), and significantly reduces the human labour required. The system provides an efficient manner to untangle the contributions of individual members within environmental and host-associated microbiomes. In this News and Thoughts, we provide an overview of our platform, describe potential applications, suggest ways in which the system could be improved, and discuss future directions in which Raman-based analysis of microbial populations might be developed.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

A micromirror array with annular partitioning for high-speed random-access axial focusing

Dynamic axial focusing functionality has recently experienced widespread incorporation in microscopy, augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), adaptive optics and material processing. However, the limitations of existing varifocal tools continue to beset the performance capabilities and operating overhead of the optical systems that mobilize such functionality. The varifocal tools that are the least burdensome to operate (e.g. liquid crystal, elastomeric or optofluidic lenses) suffer from low (≈100 Hz) refresh rates. Conversely, the fastest devices sacrifice either critical capabilities such as their dwelling capacity (e.g. acoustic gradient lenses or monolithic micromechanical mirrors) or low operating overhead (e.g. deformable mirrors). Here, we present a general-purpose random-access axial focusing device that bridges these previously conflicting features of high speed, dwelling capacity and lightweight drive by employing low-rigidity micromirrors that exploit the robustness of defocusing phase profiles. Geometrically, the device consists of an 8.2 mm diameter array of piston-motion and 48-μm-pitch micromirror pixels that provide 2π phase shifting for wavelengths shorter than 1100 nm with 10–90% settling in 64.8 μs (i.e., 15.44 kHz refresh rate). The pixels are electrically partitioned into 32 rings for a driving scheme that enables phase-wrapped operation with circular symmetry and requires <30 V per channel. Optical experiments demonstrated the array’s wide focusing range with a measured ability to target 29 distinct resolvable depth planes. Overall, the features of the proposed array offer the potential for compact, straightforward methods of tackling bottlenecked applications, including high-throughput single-cell targeting in neurobiology and the delivery of dense 3D visual information in AR/VR.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Guiding light via slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) have been explored for many applications, taking advantage of their highly non-wetting property. In this work, we explore the SLIPS as a cladding material for waveguiding. SLIPSs are prepared by infusing perfluoropolyether oil to hydrophobized nanoporous surfaces of silicon. Power loss and transmission efficiency of an HeNe laser (1.82 mW and 632.8 nm) with varying incident angles were measured through microchannels consisting of the SLIPSs as cladding layers (noil = 1.30) and water (nwater = 1.33) as a core, compared to other cladding types including a planar silicon surface and the nanoporous surfaces in hydrophilic (Wenzel state) and hydrophobic (Cassie–Baxter state) conditions with no oil infused. Agreeing with Snell's law, a total internal reflection occurs at the incident angle as high as 14° for the SLIPSs. The waveguide loss at 14° is only 1.8 dB/cm for the SLIPSs, while those for planar silicon, hydrophilic nanoporous, and hydrophobic nanoporous surfaces are 5.9, 7.4, and 4.9 dB/cm, respectively. The power transmission efficiency of the SLIPSs is independent of the porosity because the surfaces are fully covered with the oil layer, whereas those of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanoporous surfaces, whose pores are filled with water and air, respectively, depend on the porosity. The significantly lower power loss and the insensitivity to the surface porosity are advantages of the SLIPSs over the other surfaces and can benefit in waveguiding applications such as optofluidics.

Asawa, Kaustubh (ORCID:0000000197142555)↗