1
|
Xu K, Jiang C, Ban Q, Dai P, Fan Y, Yang S, Zhang Y, Wang J, Wang Y, Chen X, Zeng J, Wang F. Microsphere-Based Microsensor for Miniature Motors' Vibration Measurement. Sensors (Basel) 2023; 23:9196. [PMID: 38005582 PMCID: PMC10675563 DOI: 10.3390/s23229196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
We present a microsphere-based microsensor that can measure the vibrations of the miniature motor shaft (MMS) in a small space. The microsensor is composed of a stretched fiber and a microsphere with a diameter of 5 μm. When a light source is incident on the microsphere surface, the microsphere induces the phenomenon of photonic nanojet (PNJ), which causes light to pass through the front. The PNJ's full width at half maximum is narrow, surpassing the diffraction limit, enables precise focusing on the MMS surface, and enhances the scattered or reflected light emitted from the MMS surface. With two of the proposed microsensors, the axial and radial vibration of the MMS are measured simultaneously. The performance of the microsensor has been calibrated with a standard vibration source, demonstrating measurement errors of less than 1.5%. The microsensor is expected to be used in a confined space for the vibration measurement of miniature motors in industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaichuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Chunlei Jiang
- College of Electrical and Information Engineering, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing 163318, China;
| | - Qilu Ban
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Pan Dai
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Yaqiang Fan
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Shijie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Yue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Jiacheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Xiangfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Jie Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29 Yudao Street, Nanjing 210016, China;
| | - Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation of the Ministry of Education, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Engineering Research Center of Precision Photonics Integration and System Application of the Ministry of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Institute of Optical Communication Engineering, Nanjing University-Tongding Joint Lab for Large-Scale Photonic Integrated Circuits, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (K.X.); (P.D.); (J.W.); (X.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Xie CZ, Li CH, Chang YC, Chen YF. Optofluidic Accumulation of Silica Beads on Gel-Based Three-Dimensional SERS Substrate To Enhance Sensitivity Using Multiple Photonic Nanojets. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023. [PMID: 37343114 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c04569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a gel-based three-dimensional (3D) substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) mediated by photonic nanojets (PNJs) to enhance the sensitivity of SERS detection. The porous structure of the gel-based substrate allowed small molecules to diffuse into the substrate, while the placement of silica beads on the substrate surface resulted in the generation of photonic nanojets during SERS measurements. Because the gel-based SERS substrate had electromagnetic (EM) hot spots along the Z-direction for several tens of microns, the focuses of the PNJs, which were located a few microns away from the substrate surface, could excite the EM hot spots located within the substrate. Our objective was to maximize SERS signal intensity by coating the substrate with a close-packed array of silica beads to enable the generation of multiple PNJs. The bead array was formed using an optical fiber decorated with gold nanorods (AuNRs) to create a temperature gradient in a mixture containing silica beads, thereby enabling their arrangement and deposition in arbitrary locations across the substrate. In experiments, the Raman enhancement provided by multiple PNJs significantly exceeded that provided by single PNJs. The proposed PNJ-mediated SERS method reduced the limit of detection for malachite green by 100 times, compared to SERS results obtained using the same substrate without beads. The proposed enhancement scheme using a gel-based 3D SERS substrate with a close-packed array of silica beads could be utilized to achieve high-sensitivity SERS detection for a variety of molecules in a diverse range of applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Zhe Xie
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Han Li
- Department of Photonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - You-Chia Chang
- Department of Photonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Yih-Fan Chen
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Trukhova A, Pavlova M, Sinitsyna O, Yaminsky I. Microlens-assisted microscopy for biology and medicine. J Biophotonics 2022; 15:e202200078. [PMID: 35691020 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202200078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The addition of dielectric transparent microlens in the optical scheme is an effective and at the same time simple and inexpensive way to increase the resolution of a light microscope. For these purposes, spherical and cylindrical microlenses with a diameter of 1-100 μm are usually used. The microlens focuses the light into a narrow beam called a photonic nanojet. An enlarged virtual image is formed, which is captured by the objective of the light microscope. In addition to microscopy, the microlenses are successfully applied to amplify optical signals, increase the trapping force of optical tweezers and are used in microsurgery. This review considers the design and principle of microlens-assisted microscopes. Taking into account the advantages of the super-resolution optical methods for research in life science, the examples of the use of the microlenses in biomedical practice are discussed in detail.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Olga Sinitsyna
- A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor Yaminsky
- Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ge S, Liu W, Zhang J, Huang Y, Xi Y, Yang P, Sun X, Li S, Lin D, Zhou S, Zhu Y, Li W, Yu Y. Novel Bilayer Micropyramid Structure Photonic Nanojet for Enhancing a Focused Optical Field. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021; 11:2034. [PMID: 34443865 PMCID: PMC8398769 DOI: 10.3390/nano11082034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, synthetically using refraction, diffraction, and interference effects to achieve free manipulation of the focused optical field, we firstly present a photonic nanojet (PNJ) generated by a micropyramid, which is combined with multilayer thin films. The theory of total internal reflection (TIR) was creatively used to design the base angle of the micropyramid, and the size parameters and material properties of the microstructure were deduced via the expected optical field distribution. The as-designed bilayer micropyramid array was fabricated by using the single-point diamond turning (SPDT) technique, nanoimprint lithography (NIL), and proportional inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching. After the investigation, the results of optical field measurement were highly consistent with those of the numerical simulation, and they were both within the theoretical calculation range. The bilayer micropyramid array PNJ enhanced the interference effect of incident and scattered fields; thus, the intensity of the focused light field reached 33.8-times that of the initial light, and the range of the focused light field was extended to 10.08λ. Moreover, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the focal spot achieved was 0.6λ, which was close to the diffraction limit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaobo Ge
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Weiguo Liu
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jin Zhang
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yuetian Huang
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yingxue Xi
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Pengfei Yang
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Xueping Sun
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Shijie Li
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Dabin Lin
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Shun Zhou
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yechuan Zhu
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Thin Films Technology and Optical Test, School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710032, China; (S.G.); (J.Z.); (Y.H.); (Y.X.); (P.Y.); (X.S.); (S.L.); (D.L.); (S.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Wenli Li
- Research & Development Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China; (W.L.); (Y.Y.)
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Yiting Yu
- Research & Development Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China; (W.L.); (Y.Y.)
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lu D, Pedroni M, Labrador-Páez L, Marqués MI, Jaque D, Haro-González P. Nanojet Trapping of a Single Sub-10 nm Upconverting Nanoparticle in the Full Liquid Water Temperature Range. Small 2021; 17:e2006764. [PMID: 33502123 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been used as optical probes in a great variety of scenarios ranging from cells to animal models. When optically trapped, a single UCNP can be remotely manipulated making possible, for instance, thermal scanning in the surroundings of a living cell. When conventional optics is used, the stability of an optically trapped UCNP is very limited. Its reduced size leads to optical potentials comparable to thermal energy, and up to now, stable optical trapping of a UCNP has been demonstrated only close to room temperature. This fact limits their use above room temperature, for instance, the use to investigate protein denaturalization that occurs in the 40-50 °C range. In this work, stable optical trapping of a single UCNP in the 20-90 °C range has been demonstrated by using a photonic nanojet. The use of an optically trapped microsphere makes it possible to overcome the diffraction limit producing another optical trap of smaller size and enhanced strength. This simple strategy leads not only to an improvement in the thermal stability of the optical trap but also to an enhancement of the emission intensity generated by the optically trapped UCNP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dasheng Lu
- Fluorescence Imaging Group, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Marco Pedroni
- Fluorescence Imaging Group, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Lucía Labrador-Páez
- Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, 10044, Sweden
| | - Manuel I Marqués
- Departamento de Física de Materiales and IFIMAC and Instituto Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Daniel Jaque
- Fluorescence Imaging Group, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Patricia Haro-González
- Fluorescence Imaging Group, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang P, Chen X, Yang H. Large-Scale Fabrication of Photonic Nanojet Array via Template-Assisted Self-Assembly. Micromachines (Basel) 2020; 11:mi11050473. [PMID: 32365764 PMCID: PMC7281686 DOI: 10.3390/mi11050473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A large-scale homogenized photonic nanojet array with defined pattern and spacing facilitates practical applications in super-resolution imaging, subwavelength-resolution nanopatterning, nano objects trapping and detection technology. In this paper, we present the fabrication of a large-scale photonic nanojet array via the template-assisted self-assembly (TASA) approach. Templates of two-dimensional (2D) large-scale microwell array with defined pattern and spacing are fabricated. Melamine microspheres with excellent size uniformity are utilized to pattern on the template. It is found that microwells can be filled at a yield up to 95%. These arrayed microspheres on the template serve as microlenses and can be excited to generate large-scale photonic nanojets. The uniformly-sized melamine spheres are beneficial for the generation of a homogenized photonic nanojet array. The intensity of the photonic nanojets in water is as high as ~2 fold the background light signal. Our work shows a simple, robust, and fast means for the fabrication of a large-scale homogenized photonic nanojet array.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microsystems and Nano Devices, Bionic Sensing and Intelligence Center, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055, China; (P.Z.); (X.C.)
| | - Xi Chen
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microsystems and Nano Devices, Bionic Sensing and Intelligence Center, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055, China; (P.Z.); (X.C.)
| | - Hui Yang
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microsystems and Nano Devices, Bionic Sensing and Intelligence Center, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055, China; (P.Z.); (X.C.)
- CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-755-8639-2675
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang YJ, Dai CA, Li JH. Numerical Study of Tunable Photonic Nanojets Generated by Biocompatible Hydrogel Core-Shell Microspheres for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E431. [PMID: 30960415 DOI: 10.3390/polym11030431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Core-shell microspheres have been applied in various research areas and, in particular, they are used in the generation of photonic nanojets with suitable design for photonic applications. The photonic nanojet is a narrow and focused high-intensity light beam emitting from the shadow-side of microspheres with tunable effective length, thus enabling its applications in biosensing technology. In this paper, we numerically studied the photonic nanojets brought about from biocompatible hydrogel core-shell microspheres with different optical properties. It was found that the presence of the shell layer can significantly affect the characteristics of the photonic nanojets, such as the focal distance, intensity, effective length, and focal size. Generally speaking, the larger the core-shell microspheres, the longer the focal distance, the stronger the intensity, the longer the effective length, and the larger the focal size of the generated photonic nanojets are. The numerical simulations of the photonic nanojets from the biocompatible core-shell microspheres on a Klarite substrate, which is a classical surface-enhancing Raman scattering substrate, showed that the Raman signals in the case of adding the core-shell microspheres in the system can be further enhanced 23 times in water and 108 times in air as compared in the case in which no core-shell microspheres are present. Our study of using tunable photonic nanojets produced from the biocompatible hydrogel core-shell microspheres shows potential in future biosensing applications.
Collapse
|
8
|
Du B, Xia J, Wu J, Zhao J, Zhang H. Switchable Photonic Nanojet by Electro-Switching Nematic Liquid Crystals. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2019; 9:nano9010072. [PMID: 30621324 PMCID: PMC6359198 DOI: 10.3390/nano9010072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper first presents a switchable photonic nanojet (PNJ) generated by a polystyrene (PS) microsphere immersed in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs). The PNJ is switched by applying external voltage, which originates from the refractive index change in the surrounding medium caused by the field-induced realignment of liquid crystal molecules. By tuning the refractive index of NLCs larger or smaller than that of the PS microsphere, the PNJ can be switched off or on. Moreover, we present an optimization study to seek a better electric energy focusing property of the PNJ. Our results reveal that the switchability of PNJ can be optimized by applying a shorter incident wavelength, a double-layer microsphere, and a PS ellipsoid. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) generated by the PS ellipsoid is narrower than that generated by the microsphere with a shorter incident wavelength. The intensity contrast of the PS ellipsoid is higher than that of the double-layer microsphere. As a whole, the switchability of PNJ can be best optimized by a PS ellipsoid. This should open the way for the development of integrated photonic devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bintao Du
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Jun Xia
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Jun Wu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Jian Zhao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Hao Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
It was recently discovered that transparent microspheres and cylinders can function as a super-resolution lens (i.e., superlens) to focus light beyond the diffraction limit. A number of high-resolution applications based on these lenses have been successfully demonstrated and span nanoscopy, imaging, and spectroscopy. Fabrication of these superlenses, however, is often complex and requires sophisticated engineering processes. Clearly an easier model candidate, such as a naturally occurring superlens, is highly desirable. Here, we report for the first time a biological superlens provided by nature: the minor ampullate spider silk spun from the Nephila spider. This natural biosuperlens can distinctly resolve 100 nm features under a conventional white-light microscope with peak wavelength at 600 nm, attaining a resolution of λ/6 that is well beyond the classical limit. Thus, our work opens a new door to develop biology-based optical systems that may provide a new solution to integrating optics in biological systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James N Monks
- School of Electronic Engineering, Bangor University , LL57 1UT, Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Bing Yan
- School of Electronic Engineering, Bangor University , LL57 1UT, Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Hawkins
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , OX1 3PS, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Fritz Vollrath
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , OX1 3PS, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Zengbo Wang
- School of Electronic Engineering, Bangor University , LL57 1UT, Bangor, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Yang H, Trouillon R, Huszka G, Gijs MAM. Super-Resolution Imaging of a Dielectric Microsphere Is Governed by the Waist of Its Photonic Nanojet. Nano Lett 2016; 16:4862-70. [PMID: 27398718 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b01255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Dielectric microspheres with appropriate refractive index can image objects with super-resolution, that is, with a precision well beyond the classical diffraction limit. A microsphere is also known to generate upon illumination a photonic nanojet, which is a scattered beam of light with a high-intensity main lobe and very narrow waist. Here, we report a systematic study of the imaging of water-immersed nanostructures by barium titanate glass microspheres of different size. A numerical study of the light propagation through a microsphere points out the light focusing capability of microspheres of different size and the waist of their photonic nanojet. The former correlates to the magnification factor of the virtual images obtained from linear test nanostructures, the biggest magnification being obtained with microspheres of ∼6-7 μm in size. Analyzing the light intensity distribution of microscopy images allows determining analytically the point spread function of the optical system and thereby quantifies its resolution. We find that the super-resolution imaging of a microsphere is dependent on the waist of its photonic nanojet, the best resolution being obtained with a 6 μm Ø microsphere, which generates the nanojet with the minimum waist. This comparison allows elucidating the super-resolution imaging mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yang
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Trouillon
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gergely Huszka
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|