Optical wavelength tuning via actuation of a fluidic grating

• Main Authors: Guerrero, Raphael A, Oliva, Sarah Jaye C
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2014
• Subjects: Wavelength tuning; Diffraction gratings; Microfluidics; Diffraction; Lamps; Light sources; Liquids; Lithography; Optical components; Spectroscopy; Optics; Physics
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/physics-faculty-pubs/16; https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/Optical-Engineering/volume-53/issue-2/025104/Optical-wavelength-tuning-via-actuation-of-a-fluidic-grating/10.1117/1.OE.53.2.025104.short
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Deformable optical elements may be physically altered through fluid displacement. We imprint a grating surface onto an elastomeric membrane by soft lithography. The membrane is installed as a flexible wall of a sealed fluidic chamber. Injection of excess fluid into the chamber induces expansion of the membrane, effectively varying the groove spacing of the imprinted grating. In transmission experiments using a broadband light source, we are able to achieve a 127.2-nm shift in peak wavelength with an injected fluid volume of 0.56 ml. A paraboloid model of the change in curvature of the grating during expansion accurately describes our experimental results.