Light Actuation of Liquid in Optofluidics

Optofluidics is the integration of optics and microfluidics（so-called lab on the chip）. Wherein the actuation of liquid is a key technic. In a variety of methods for controlling microscale liquid, the light actuation is particularly interesting. The light actuation offers a novel way to control the flow of fluids for biomedical and biotechnological applications, etc.. The complexity and cost of devices sometimes may be greatly reduced by using complete optical control and may be more flexible in operation than other methods. However the light actuation of liquid is a burgeoning field as well as optofluidics. There is lots of work to do. Here we systematically describe four mechanisms for the light actuation of liquid based on the following points： optoelectrowetting, photothermal effect, radiation pressure, photosensitive substance.     

Laterally actuated torsional micromirrors for large static deflection

We report on the implementation of laterally electrostatically actuated, torsionally suspended silicon-on-insulator (SOI) micromirrors with a static optical deflection angle of over 40/spl deg/ peak-to-peak. Decoupling the actuator and mirror design allows for large actuator arrays, allowing large dc deflection angle and high resonant frequency to coexist in the same device. The micromirror structures are fully monolithic, micromachined from the front side and back side of an SOI wafer-device layer. In-plane actuation is transformed into out-of-plane motion and rotation, enabling integration of a wide variety of SOI-MEMS sensors, actuators, and micromirrors. When operated in resonance at 1321 Hz, a typical device measured up to 92/spl deg/ peak-to-peak optical deflection at 127 Vdc with 15 Vac amplitude.     

Realization of a Four-Electrode Liquid Crystal Device With Full In-Plane Director Rotation

A liquid crystal device with micrometer-scale hexagonal electrodes has been fabricated and characterized. By using weak anchoring at the liquid crystal interfaces, the orientation of the director is completely governed by the applied electric fields. The appropriate voltage waveforms applied to electrodes allow the director in the liquid crystal layer to be rotated in the plane parallel to the substrates over large angles, exceeding 180 deg. This paper is a technological and experimental verification of an earlier proposed device concept     

Liquid electrolyte positioning along the device channel influences the operation of Organic Electro-Chemical Transistors

In this work, we show the influence of the liquid electrolyte adsorption by porous films made of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonate), PEDOT:PSS, on the operation of an Organic Electro-Chemical Transistor with an active channel based on these polymeric films. In particular, the effect of film hydration on device performance is evaluated by studying its electrical response as a function of the spatial position between the electrolyte and the channel electrodes. This is done by depositing a PEDOT:PSS film on a super-hydrophobic surface aimed at controlling the electrolyte confinement next to the electrodes. The device response shows that the confinement of ionic liquids near to the drain electrode results in a worsening of the current modulation. This result has been interpreted in the light of studies dealing with the transport of ions in semiconducting polymers, indicating that the electrolyte adsorption by the polymeric film implies the formation of liquid pathways inside its bulk. These pathways, in particular, affect the device response because they are able to assist the drift of ionic species in the electrolyte towards the drain electrode. The effect of electrolyte adsorption on the device operation is confirmed by means of moving-front measurements, and is related to the reproducibility of the device operation curves by measuring repeatedly its electrical response.     

Hydrogen‐Bonded Liquid Crystals in Confined Spaces—Toward Photonic Hybrid Materials

A series of hybrid materials based on chiral nematic mesoporous organosilica (CNMO) films infiltrated with liquid crystalline hydrogen‐bonded assemblies is prepared and characterized with respect to the mutual manipulation of the photonic properties of the host and the liquid‐crystalline behavior of the guest. Detailed differential scanning calorimetry studies reveal the impact of confinement on the mesomorphic behavior of the liquid crystalline assemblies in the pores of the CNMO films. The photonic properties of the chiral nematic mesoporous host can be controlled by changing the temperature or irradiating the films with UV light. These stimuli‐induced phase transitions are accompanied by changes in the orientational order of the mesogens as revealed by ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The combination of confinement and changes in the molecular orientation in a unique hybrid material based on hydrogen‐bonded liquid crystals and a porous host with a chiral nematic mesostructure is an interesting concept for the design of optical sensors, reflectors, or filters.     

Rewritable Electrically Controllable Liquid Crystal Actuators

Conductive structures determine the functions and actuation modes of electrically responsive soft actuators. The rewritability of conductive structures is highly desirable but has not been realized in electro-driven actuators. Typically, once conductive pathways are established, they can hardly be modified; thus, the function of the actuator is permanently fixed. In this study, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is developed as a rewritable conductive coating for actuators composed of liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). This enables reconfigurable, adaptive, and precisely controllable electro-driven motions and the repeated use of the same actuator for various purposes without disposal. Moreover, different PEDOT:PSS layers can be coated onto different regions, thus enabling the assembly of different actuation behaviors in a monolithic actuator under a single input voltage. Unlike all previously reported soft actuators that respond to electricity and light, opposite shape changes in an actuator with a series circuit can be performed under these two stimuli. Furthermore, when combining LCEs with dynamic covalent bonds, the PEDOT:PSS-coated LCE (PEDOT:PSS-LCE) actuator can be reprogrammed based on two different mechanisms: rewriting the conductive PEDOT:PSS patterns and re-aligning the LCEs. This versatile method can be adapted to other types of actuators.     

Molecularly‐Engineered, 4D‐Printed Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators

Three‐dimensional structures that undergo reversible shape changes in response to mild stimuli enable a wide range of smart devices, such as soft robots or implantable medical devices. Herein, a dual thiol‐ene reaction scheme is used to synthesize a class of liquid crystal (LC) elastomers that can be 3D printed into complex shapes and subsequently undergo controlled shape change. Through controlling the phase transition temperature of polymerizable LC inks, morphing 3D structures with tunable actuation temperature (28 ± 2 to 105 ± 1 °C) are fabricated. Finally, multiple LC inks are 3D printed into single structures to allow for the production of untethered, thermo‐responsive structures that sequentially and reversibly undergo multiple shape changes.     

Molecular Engineering of Mesogenic Constituents Within Liquid Crystalline Elastomers to Sharpen Thermotropic Actuation

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE) are stimuli-responsive materials with a distinguished mechanical response. LCE have been subject to numerous recent functional examinations in robotics, health sciences, and optics. The liquid crystallinity of the elastomeric polymer networks of LCE are largely derived from liquid crystalline monomer precursors. Recent reports have utilized commercially available liquid crystalline diacrylate monomers in chain extension reactions to prepare LCE. These reactions have been largely based on monomeric precursors originally to enhance the and thermal stability of optical films. Here, it is demonstrated that preparing LCE via a liquid crystalline diacrylate with reduced mesogen–mesogen interaction enhances and sharpens the thermotropic actuation of these materials. Robust composition-response correlations are demonstrated in LCE prepared by three common synthetic methods. The enhanced thermotropic response of LCE prepared from this precursor increases the thermomechanical efficiency by sixfold. Accordingly, this work addresses important limitations in utilizing the thermal response of LCE in robotics, health care, and consumer goods.     

3D-Printed Photoresponsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer Composites for Free-Form Actuation

Direct ink writing of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) offers a new opportunity to program geometries for a wide variety of shape transformation modes toward applications such as soft robotics. So far, most 3D-printed LCEs are thermally actuated. Herein, a 3D-printable photoresponsive gold nanorod (AuNR)/LCE composite ink is developed, allowing for photothermal actuation of the 3D-printed structures with AuNR as low as 0.1 wt.%. It is shown that the printed filament has a superior photothermal response with 27% actuation strain upon irradiation to near-infrared (NIR) light (808 nm) at 1.4 W cm⁻² (corresponding to 160 °C) under optimal printing conditions. The 3D-printed composite structures can be globally or locally actuated into different shapes by controlling the area exposed to the NIR laser. Taking advantage of the customized structures enabled by 3D printing and the ability to control locally exposed light, a light-responsive soft robot is demonstrated that can climb on a ratchet surface with a maximum speed of 0.284 mm s⁻¹ (on a flat surface) and 0.216 mm s⁻¹ (on a 30° titled surface), respectively, corresponding to 0.428 and 0.324 body length per min, respectively, with a large body mass (0.23 g) and thickness (1 mm).     

Nematic Liquid Crystals Embedded in Cubic Microlattices: Memory Effects and Bistable Pixels

The confinement of liquid crystals in geometries with frustrating boundary conditions gives rise to nontrivial effects such as bistability and memory. It is shown that large memory effects arise when nematic liquid crystals are embedded in cubic micrometer‐sized scaffolds made by two‐photon polymerization. The electric field alignment of the liquid crystals inside the porous medium is maintained when the applied field is above a threshold (approximately 2 V per micrometer of cell thickness). The onset of the memory is an on/off type process for each individual pore of the scaffold, and the memory typically starts emerging in one region of the structure and then propagates. The global memory effects in porous structures with controlled geometry are enhanced with respect to the case of random porous structures. This work is a proof of the “memory from topology” principle, which was previously suggested by computer simulations. These new materials can pave the way to new types of bistable displays.     

Liquid crystal applications in photonics

We developed new optical switches based on nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystal (LC) cells for photonics applications. Certain new LC switches based on the effect of total internal reflection in nematic LC and deformed helix ferroelectric effect ferroelectric LC with very fast response time were developed. Fast bistable optical switches of the light polarization based on ferroelectric liquid crystal cells were proposed. The switches are characterized by 100 us switching time and 26 dB crosstalk at the wavelength of 632.8 nm and bistable, i.e., required zero power consumption in the switch state.High frequency hysteretic free electrically controlled 0-2π phase modulation of light has been proposed using a very short helix pitch (less than 400 nm) deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal. The electrically controlled 0-2π hysteretic free phase modulation was achieved at the driving voltage frequency up to 4 kHz and the voltage amplitude of 32 V. The application of fast V-shaped deformed helix ferroelectric ferroelectric LC (DHF-FLC) for new active-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) and optical data processing devices is envisaged.Photoalignment technology can be very useful for the new generation of liquid crystal devices as well as in new photovoltaic, optoelectronic and photonic devices based on highly ordered thin organic layers. We have investigated the LC photoalignment in superthin tubes, which are basic elements of switchable photonic crystal/liquid crystal structures and obtained the order parameter comparable with usual homogeneous nematic LC cells. We studied LC alignment on silicon surfaces with submicrometer-sized straight and curved waveguide profiles. The liquid crystal cladding refractive index was then varied according to the applied voltage, and subsequently the microresonator resonance wavelengths were tuned. Based on our initial measurements, the free spectral range (FSR) wavelength shift within the range of 20 nm was obtained, which is comparable with a thermooptic effect. The new voltagecontrollable Si-based add drop filters are envisaged based on this principle.     

公共电极和反射器作互补的单盒式透反射型液晶显示器

给出了一种单盒式透反射型液晶显示器,它采用顶板公共电极和底板的反射器形成互补。这些狭长的公共电极和反射器在透射区域(T区)产生出强劲的纵向电场,而在反射区域(R区)带来微弱的边缘场。无论透射显示模式还是反射显示模式,均给出高的光学效率和良好的匹配灰度。     

Autonomous Self-Sustained Liquid Crystal Actuators Enabling Active Photonic Applications

Advances in biomimicry have led to the rise of advanced robotics, posing promising revolutions across a variety of fields. Programmable self-sustained actuation in nature, such as human's heart beating, bird's wingbeats, and penguin's waddling, are intriguing and inspiring but challenging for device innovation, which hinders the emergence of autonomous self-feedback applications, especially in optics and photonics. Herein, the design, fabrication, and operation of crosslinked liquid crystal actuators are described that combine the programming of microstructures and the engineering of macroscopic shape morphing for active optics and photonics. The actuators consist of twisted nematic liquid crystal molecules with both elastic and optical anisotropies, resulting in large bending deformations in response to heat. Programmable bending motions and self-sustained waddling oscillations are demonstrated, further contributing to the achievements of dynamic 2D beam steering and self-sustained light field modulation. It is envisioned that these actuators with self-sustained performances without requiring turning the stimulus on-off will find applications in autonomous active optical systems, photonic applications, as well as self-governing robotics with the core feature of thermo-mechanical-optical transduction.     

Nematic Liquid Crystal Optical Channel Waveguides on Silicon

We demonstrate the first channel waveguides made of E7 nematic liquid crystal (LC) in SiO$_2$–Si V-grooves. The grooves have been obtained by wet etching n-Si substrates first and then by thermally growing an approximately 2-$mu$m-thick SiO$_2$cladding layer. Propagation of infrared light at a wavelength of 1550 nm shows a good optical confinement in 10-$mu$m-wide LC waveguides. Modal analysis and beam propagation simulations predict single mode propagation. This is experimentally confirmed by the acquired near field images. The optical waveguide acts as an integrated optic polarizer, since only vertical polarization can propagate due to the orientation of the LC molecules. The horizontal polarization state is suppressed by more than 25 dB.     

A Single-Cell-Gap Transflective Liquid Crystal Display With Complementary Common Electrodes and Reflectors

A single-cell-gap transflective liquid crystal display with complementary common electrodes on the top substrate and reflectors on the bottom substrate is demonstrated. These slit-patterned common electrodes and reflectors generate a strong longitudinal electric field in the transmissive region (T-region) and a weak fringe field in the reflective region (R-region). Both transmissive and reflective display modes show high optical efficiency and well-matched grayscales.     

A Sensing and Stretchable Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Device Based on Spiderweb-Inspired Silver Nanowires-Micromesh Transparent Electrode

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) devices are truly promising optical modulators for information display, smart window as well as intelligent photoelectronic applications due to their fast switching, large optical modulation as well as cost-effectiveness. However, realizing highly soft PDLC devices with sensing function remains a grand challenge because of the intrinsic brittleness of traditional transparent conductive electrodes. Here, inspired by spiderweb configuration, a novel type of silver nanowires (AgNWs) micromesh-based stretchable transparent conductive electrodes (STCEs) is developed to support the realization of soft PDLC device. Benefiting from the embedding design of AgNWs micromesh in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the STCEs can maintain excellent electrical conductivity and transparency even in various extreme conditions such as bending, folding, twisting, stretching as well as multiple chemical corrosion. Further, STCEs with the embedded AgNWs micromesh endow the assembled PDLC device with excellent photoelectrical properties including rapid switching speed (<1 s), large optical modulation (69% at 600 nm), as well as robust mechanical stability (bending over 1000 cycles and stretching to 40%). Moreover, the device displays the pressure sensing function with high sensitivity in response to pressure stimulus. It is conceivable that AgNWs micromesh transparent electrodes will shape the next generation of related soft smart electronics.     

Microstructured Actuation of Liquid Crystal Polymer Networks

Smart microstructured materials enable functions such as actuation, detection, transportation, and sensing with potential applications ranging from robotics and photonics to biomedical devices. Of the many materials systems, liquid crystal polymer networks (LCN) are fascinating owing to their ability to exhibit reversible macroscopic deformation driven by a molecular order–disorder phase transition. LCN have been increasingly explored for their utility in the design and fabrication of smart actuating devices capable of complex shape changes or motions upon external stimulation of humidity, heat, light, and other stimuli, and recent studies in this field show that their actuation complexity can be enriched and actuation performance enhanced by having some sort of microstructures. Herein, the recent progress in microstructured actuation of LCN materials with substructures in scale ranging from micrometer to millimeter is reported, placing the emphasis on the main approaches to generating a microstructure in LCN, which include patterned LC director fields, patterned chain crosslinking in LCN with uniaxial orientation of mesogens, 3D/4D printing, and replica molding. The potential applications in microstructured 3D actuators and devices as well as functional LCN surfaces are also highlighted, with an outlook on important issues and future trends in smart microstructured LCN materials and actuators.     

Liquid Metal/Metal Oxide Frameworks

A new platform described as the liquid metal/metal oxide (LM/MO) framework is introduced. The constituent spherical structures of these frameworks are made of micro‐ to nanosized liquid metal spheres and nanosized metal oxides, combining the advantages of both materials. It is shown that the diameters of the spheres and the stoichiometry of the structures can be actively controlled. Additionally, the liquid suspension of these spheres demonstrates tuneable plasmon resonances. These spherical structures are assembled to form LM/MO frameworks which are capable of demonstrating high sensitivity towards low concentrations of heavy metal ions, and enhanced solar light driven photocalalytic activities. These demonstrations imply that the LM/MO frameworks are a suitable candidate for the development of future high performance electronic and optical devices.     

Robotic Locomotion and Piezo1 Activity Controlled with Novel Liquid Marble-based Soft Actuators

A novel soft actuator is designed, fabricated, and optimized for applied use in soft robotics and biomedical applications. The soft actuator is powered by the expansion and contraction of a graphene-containing and encased liquid marble using the photothermal effect. Unfortunately, conventional liquid marbles are found to be too fragile and prone to cracking and failure for such applications. After experimentation, it is possible to remedy this problem by synthesizing liquid marbles encased with polymeric shells–polymerized in situ–for added mechanical strength and robustness. These marbles are shown to have intrinsic photothermal activity. They are then situated in bimorph-type soft actuators where one side of the actuator has a dramatically different Young's modulus than the other, leading to directional actuation which is successfully demonstrated in multistep walking soft robots. The soft actuators are shown to successfully activate the mechanosensitive Piezo protein in a transfected human cell line with high effectiveness and no toxicity. Overall, the liquid marble-powered soft actuators described here represent a new soft actuation methodology and a novel tool for mechanobiological studies, such as stem cell fate and organoid differentiation.     

High-coupling-efficient 1.3-μm laser diodes with goodtemperature characteristics

We have proposed uniformly beam-expanded structures based on the advanced concept for realizing high coupling efficiency and good temperature characteristics. Beam expansion (optical confinement reduction) by narrowing the core layer width as well as a carrier confinement are strongly enhanced by adopting a larger bandgap InGaAsP for MQW barriers and separate confinement heterostructure layers. These laser diodes (LD's) were fabricated by the conventional buried heterostructure laser process, which is very important in reducing the cost. Our results have proven the effectiveness of our proposition. The LD's with high coupling efficiency (-3.2 dB) and good temperature characteristics have been achieved even using the simple approach of reducing optical confinement. The threshold currents at 25 and 85°C are 9.3 and 39.4 mA, respectively. The slope efficiency at 25°C is 0.39 W/A and still high (0.26 W/A) even at 85°C