Sharply directed emission in microcavity organic light-emitting diodes with a cholesteric liquid crystal film

A flexible microcavity organic light-emitting diode (OLED) was fabricated and the emitting characteristics were examined. A pair of right- and left-handed cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) films were attached to the microcavity OLED between aluminum (Al) and silver (Ag). Sharply directed spontaneous emission was observed from microcavity OLEDs, in which a typical luminescent material, 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq₃), with a broad emission spectrum was used for emitting layer. The introduction of the CLC film improved both the emission bandwidth and directionality, preserving the turn-on voltage and maximum brightness.     

Color tunable high efficiency microcavity organic light-emitting diodes

Color tunable microcavity organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with structure of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR)/indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/N,N′-di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N′-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB)/tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃)/LiF/Al were fabricated. Orange red and green light emissions with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of less than 20 nm were obtained through simply changing the thickness of NPB layer. Furthermore, due to the effective modification of the spontaneous emission within microcavity, the brightness and electroluminescent (EL) efficiency of the microcavity OLEDs were significantly enhanced. The maximum brightness and current efficiency, respectively, reached 31000 cd/m² at a current density of 480.0 mA/cm² and 8.3 cd/A at a current density of 110.0 mA/cm² for green devices, and 9700 cd/m² at a current density of 180.0 mA/cm² and 6.6 cd/A at a current density of 36.4 mA/cm² for red devices, which are over 1.5 times higher than those of noncavity OLEDs.      

Design of tunable surface mode waveguide based on photonic crystal composite structure using organic liquid

With the method of replacing the surface layer of photonic crystal with tubes, a novel photonic crystal composite structure used as a tunable surface mode waveguide is designed. The tubes support tunable surface states. The tunable propagation capabilities of the structure are investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain. Simulation results show that the beam transmission distributions of the composite structure are sensitive to the frequency range of incident light and the surface morphology which can be modified by filling the tubes with different organic liquids. By adjusting the filler in tubes, the T-shaped, Y-shaped, and L-shaped propagations can be realized. The property can be applied to the tunable surface mode waveguide. Compared with a traditional single function photonic crystal waveguide, our designed structure not only has a small size, but also is a tunable device.     

Integrated wavelength monitoring in a photonic-crystal tunable laser diode

A photonic-crystal tunable 1.55 μm laser diode is fitted with a wavelength monitor on its rear side. The 250-μm long laser based on a coupled-cavity design has approximately 15 nm tunability. The wavelength monitor collects and differentially feeds two-photodetecting areas, thanks to a mode conversion to a higher-order mode (a mini-stopband), followed by tunneling through a thin clad. The layout is numerically optimized to minimize unwanted reflections. Electrical cross-talk was prevented through guard rings and trenches. The correlation between wavelength and the monitor photocurrent ratio demonstrates a 10–20 GHz stabilization capability, or a 15 nm monitoring range.     

Validity of retinal oxygen saturation analysis: Hyperspectral imaging in visible wavelength with fundus camera and liquid crystal wavelength tunable filter

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the feasibility of a newly developed hyperspectral fundus imaging camera with a liquid crystal tunable filter. The intensities of different wavelengths of light transmitted through an artery, vein, and the area surrounding these vessels and reflected out were measured, and the differential spectral absorptions were analyzed. Measurements were made from 16 normal eyes and from two artificial capillaries. The ratios of absorption (ROA) of arteries to veins from 500 to 580 nm (range 1) and from 600 to 720 nm (range 2) were calculated. For all eyes, the ROA_range1 was larger than ROA_range2. The ROA obtained from the artificial capillary filled with blood saturated with oxygen or nitrogen was similar to that of simulated data of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin extinction rate. Most ROAs of human eyes were lower than those of the simulated data and the artificial capillaries. Oxygen saturation analysis by hyperspectral fundus imaging of retinal vessels were qualitatively in agreement with thein vitro analysis or simulated values. However, further improvements are necessary to evaluate the oxygen saturation quantitatively in the retinal blood vessels.     

High-density wavelength switching obtained from a tunable multisection laser diode

We describe a method based on multistability in wavelength for obtaining high-density wavelength switching for application to signal routing. The method relies on the use of a 1550-nm wavelength-tunable multielectrode laser diode that is fed back electrically. The system operates as a multistable device that exhibits multiple steady states in wavelength. The device can be used to convert time-multiplexed packets into wavelength-multiplexed signals.     

Pure red emission of dye-doped organic molecules from microcavity organic light emitting diode

Organic red emitting diode was fabricated by using 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-[2-(2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1 H,5H-benzo[ij]quinolizin-8-yl)vinyl]-4H-pyran (DCM)-doped tri-(8-quinolitolato) aluminum (Alq₃) as emitter with the structure of G/ITO/NPB(25 nm)/DCM:Alq₃(55 nm)/Alq₃(20 nm)/LiF (1.2 nm)/Al(84 nm), (glass/indium–tin-oxide/4,4-bis-[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenyl-amino]biphenyl, G/ITO/NPB), the wavelength of the maximal emission of which is 615 nm. By introducing cavity to Organic light emitting diode (OLED), we got pure red emitting diode with wavelength of the maximal emission of 621 nm and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 27 nm. As far as we know, it is the best result in the dye-doped organic red emitting diode. We also made a device of G/ITO/NPB(25 nm)/DCM:Alq₃(29 nm)/DCM:PBD(26 nm)/Alq₃(20 nm)/LiF(1.2 nm)/Al(84 nm), in order to compare the performance of Alq₃ with that of 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-t-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD) as host material. It was found that the performance of device A is better than that of C both in brightness and color purity,as well as in EL efficiency.     

Mechano-optical wavelength tuning in a photonic crystal microcavity with sub-1 V drive voltage

A micro-bimorph cantilever with self-aligned nanotips is monolithically integrated with a photonic crystal based device using optical and deep UV lithography techniques. Upon electrostatic actuation, the dielectric nanotips perturb the optical field, providing electromechano-optical modulation of light. Static tuning of the optical transmission spectra by more than 600 pm is measured with a sub-1 V drive voltage, resulting in a modulation as high as 21 dB. The observed strong electromechano-optical effect may find application in power efficient devices for optical communication networks, such as wavelength routing elements.     

Design and analysis of thermally tunable liquid crystal filled hybrid photonic crystal fiber coupler

We propose a novel tunable photonic crystal fiber (PCF) coupler scheme, that the light is coupled between a total internal reflection (TIR) guiding core and a photonic bandgap (PBG) guiding core. By introducing the thermo-optic responsive nematic liquid crystals (NLC) into the air holes around the PBG core, the hybrid PCF based coupler exhibits enhanced thermal tunability. The thermo-optical characteristics of the proposed coupler are numerically studied using finite element method (FEM) and beam propagation method (BPM). The proposed design can find promising applications in filtering and sensing devices.     

Strong exciton-photon coupling in an organic single crystal microcavity

We demonstrate strong exciton-photon coupling of Frenkel excitons at room temperature in a microcavity composed of a melt grown thin film anthracene single crystal and two distributed Bragg reflectors. Angle-resolved reflectivity and normal incidence photoluminescence under weak excitation are observed. The microcavity spectrum is a function of the anisotropy of the crystalline material and the strong exciton-photon coupling of the excitonic resonances to the cavity photon. The photoluminescence spectrum is found to be completely polarized along the crystal axes.     

Laser performance of a broadband wavelength tunable Yb:germanophosphate glass with direct diode pumping

The laser performance of a new Yb:germanophosphate(Yb:GP) glass is investigated. A maximum output power of 826 m W at 1063 nm is achieved with direct diode pumping at 976 nm. The wavelength is tuned from 1034.47 to 1070.83 nm, corresponding to a tuning range of 36.36 nm. Thermal lens effects are investigated to optimize the optical cavity.     

Optically tunable microcavity in a planar photonic crystal silicon waveguide buried in oxide

We present all-optical tuning and switching of a microcavity inside a two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguide. The photonic crystal structure is fabricated in silicon-on-insulator using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor processing techniques based on deep ultraviolet lithography and is completely buried in a silicon dioxide cladding that provides protection from the environment. By focusing a laser onto the microcavity region, both a thermal and a plasma dispersion effect are generated, allowing tuning and fast modulation of the in-plane transmission. By means of the temporal characteristics of the in-plane transmission, we experimentally identify a slower thermal and a fast plasma dispersion effect with modulation bandwidths of the order of several 100 kHz and up to the gigahertz level, respectively.     

Optical filter with tunable wavelength and bandwidth based on cholesteric liquid crystals

An optical filter with tunable wavelength and bandwidth has been demonstrated using two cholesteric liquid crystals configured in a reflection mode, in which the incident light is first reflected by one cholesteric liquid crystal and then by the other one. The central wavelength can be tuned from 527 nm to 574 nm and the bandwidth can be changed from 10 nm to 80 nm. It has potential applications in many fields, especially in optical communications and multispectral and hyperspectral imaging systems.     

Ultrafast tunable filter in two-dimensional organic photonic crystal

A tunable filter made from a two-dimensional polystyrene photonic crystal is fabricated by focused ion-beam etching. The pump and probe scheme is adopted to measure tunability based on the picosecond optical Kerr effect. The response time of the tunable filter, approximately 10 ps, is within the measurement resolution. The maximum shift of optical channels is estimated to be 6 nm under excitation of 15.9 GW/cm2 pump intensity, which is in agreement with the theoretical prediction.     

Self-calibration wavelength modulation spectroscopy for acetylene detection based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

The expressions of the second harmonic(2f) signal are derived on the basis of absorption spectral and lock-in theories.A parametric study indicates that the phase shift between the intensity and wavelength modulation makes a great contribution to the 2f signal.A self-calibration wavelength modulation spectroscopy(WMS) method based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy(TOLAS) is applied,combining the advantages of ambient pressure,temperature suppression,and phase-shift influences elimination.Species concentration is retrieved simultaneously from selected 2f signal pairs of measured and reference WMS-2f spectra.The absorption line of acetylene(C_2H_2) at 1530.36 nm near-infrared is selected to detect C_2H_2 concentrations in the range of 0-400 ppmv.System sensitivity,detection precision and limit are markedly improved,demonstrating that the self-calibration method has better detecting performance than the conventional WMS.     

可调谐液晶红外滤光片的光学特性分析

可调谐红外滤光片是高分辨率红外成像仪谱段识别和分光的重要光学器件。采用琼斯矩阵方法对平行向列相和90°扭曲向列相液晶法-珀红外滤光片的本征偏振态及光学特性进行了研究。结果表明,当非偏振光垂直入射时,平行向列相液晶法-珀滤光片在任何电压下两组本征偏振态均不发生模式混合,具有偏振敏感性;90°扭曲向列相液晶法-珀滤光片在电压较低时具有偏振敏感性,当电压大于三倍Freedericksz阈值电压时,两组本征偏振态发生模式混合,偏振敏感性消除。     

Electrically tunable generation of vectorial vortex beams with micro-patterned liquid crystal structures

We develop a new method for smooth and continuous space-variant alignment of the liquid crystal medium in micro-patterned structures, which is based on a radial micro-structured pattern of polymeric ribbons exhibiting out-of-plane orientation with respect to the ITO-coated glass plates. Thanks to the broad range of electrical tunability of the optical retardation for the micro-patterned liquid crystal structures, transformation of the fundamental Gaussian beam into different types of specific beams, including generalized cylindrical vector beams, vortex beams, and vectorial vortex beams, is efficiently demonstrated.     

向列相液晶染料可调谐激光器的研究

对向列相液晶染料的可调谐激光器进行了光学特性研究. 以650 nm为中 心波长设计了SiO₂和TiO₂多层膜的一维光子晶体, 以激光染料与向列相液晶的混合物作为增益介质层, 制备了波长可调谐激光器.用Nd: YAG倍频脉冲激光器输出的532 nm激光抽运所制备的激光器样品得出如下光学特性: 激光发射波长随温度调谐范围为605.5---639.8 nm, 达到34.3 nm, 随电压调谐范围为634.5---619.5 nm, 达到15 nm. 发射激光每脉冲的阈值能量为12.3 μJ, 激光线宽小于1 nm.     

Investigation of biosensor built with photonic crystal microcavity

The ultra-compact biosensor based on the two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PhC) microcavity is investigated. The performances of the sensor are analyzed theoretically using the Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity model and simulated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The simulation results go along with the theoretical analysis.     

Novel large negative dispersion and tunable zero dispersion wavelength of photonic crystal fiber

The article describes a novel doped CS₂ core photonic crystal fiber with high negative chromatic dispersion. The proposed design is simulated through a full-vector finite element method and anisotropic perfectly matched layers. The numerical results show that we can achieve a negative dispersion coefficient of ?5600 ps/(nm km) almost at the wavelength of 1.55 μm by carefully adjusting the proposed PCF structure parameters. The proposed PCF may have great potential applications in dispersion compensating, optical parametric amplification, and optical fiber communication.