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A new photo-triggerable molecule for detecting and modulating electric fields has been created. It is comprised of two photoresponsive modules that are independently actuated. Research findings are reported in: Y. Zhang*, J. He*, P. Saris*, H. U. Chae, S. Das, R. R. Kapadia, A. M. Armani, Multifunctional photoresponsive organic molecule for electric field sensing and modulation, Journal of Materials Chemistry C (2022). in press, on arXiv
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By developing a new bi-functional surface chemistry, the density of a photoresponsive (photo-switchable) molecule on the surface of an integrated optical device can be precisely controlled, allowing for the demonstration of an all-optical switch. This work is reported in: A. Kovach, J. He, P. J. G. Saris, D. Chen, A. M. Armani, “Optically tunable microresonator using an azobenzene monolayer“, AIP Advances 10 (4), 045117, (2020). and J. He, A. Kovach, D. Chen, P. Saris, R. Yu, A. M. Armani, “All-optical reversible control of integrated resonant cavity by a self-assembled azobenzene monolayer“, Optics Express 28 (15), 22462-22477 (2020).
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By creating a new stereocomplex with improved optical transparency and mechanical elasticity as well as the ability to heal upon exposure to water, a deformable (tunable) diffraction grating is fabricated using a straightforward soft-lithography method. This work is reported in: J. He, A. Kovach, Y. Wang, W. Wang, W. Wu, A. M. Armani, “Stretchable optical diffraction grating from poly(acrylic acid)/polyethylene oxide stereocomplex”, Optics Letters 46 (21), 5493-5496 (2021).
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Nonlinear organic small molecules can significantly improve the performance of integrated optical devices by orders of magnitude. Published in: X. Shen, et al, Science Advances 4 (1), eaao4507 (2018). Link: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/1/eaao4507
Organic Small molecules
- We have numerous projects synthesizing new highly nonlinear organic small molecules for applications in imaging, in biological systems control, and in integrated photonics.
Hydrogels
- We are currently exploring ways to develop multi-modal (or functional) hydrogels for a range of applications in biology and medicine. Some initial research efforts include the design, synthesis, and validation of a 3D cell culture system with integrated elasticity tunability to understand tumor metastases and bacteria swarming (biofilm formation).
Surface Chemistry
- As complementary work to our nonlinear devices, we have several projects investigating routes to efficiently and controllably attach and orient our new small molecules to the surface of optical devices without degrading their optical performance. We are also exploring using surface chemistry as a new approach to integrate functionality into devices.