Abstract
The emerging field of optofluidics provides exciting opportunities for the realization of tunable optofluidic devices (TODs) using a large variety of physical mechanisms. This is because microfluidics is a promising technology for achieving a high degree of tunability—a capability that is not available in many of the current optical devices. In addition, microfluidics holds a great potential for rapid prototyping, miniaturization and integration. TODs already find commercial applications in various fields such as display and imaging, and are expected to become a key player in future optical systems for biology, medicine, communication and information processing. We review the recent progress in the field and discuss potential future directions.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
More information can be found at Varioptic web site: http://www.varioptic.com.
For more information see Liquavista web site: http://www.liquavista.com.
References
Berge B, Peseux J (2000) Variable focal lens controlled by an external voltage: an application of electrowetting. Eur Phys J E 3:159
Berreman DW (1980) US Patent No. 4,190,330
Berry S, Kedzierski J, Abedian B (2006) Low voltage electrowetting using thin fluoroploymer films. J Colloid Interface Sci 303:517
Bilenberg B, Rasmussen T, Balslev S, Kristensen A (2006) Real-time tunability of chip-based light source enabled by micro-fluidic mixing. J Appl Phys 99:023102
Brown M, Vestad T, Oakey J, Marr DWM (2006) Optical waveguides via viscosity-mismatched microfluidic flows. Appl Phys Lett 88:134109
Campbell K, Groisman A, Levy U, Pang L, Mookherjea S, Psaltis D, Fainman Y (2004) A microfluidic 2 × 2 optical switch. Appl Phys Lett 85:6119
Campbell K, Levy U, Fainman Y, Groisman A (2006) Pressure-driven devices with lithographically fabricated composite epoxy-elastomer membranes. Appl Phys Lett 89:154105
Chiou PY, Chang Z, Wu MC (2003) Pico liter droplet manipulation based on a novel continuous opto- electrowetting mechanism. In: Proceedings IEEE twelfth international conference on solid-state sensors, actuators and microsystems (Transducers '03), pp 557–562
Chronis N, Liu GL, Jeong KH, Lee LP (2003) Tunable liquid-filled microlens array integrated with microfluidic network. Opt Express 11:2370
Commander LG, Day SE, Selviah DR (2000) Variable focal length microlenses. Opt Commun 177:157
Domachuk P, Cronin-Golomb M, Eggleton BJ, Mutzenich S, Rosengarten G, Mitchell A (2005) Application of optical trapping to beam manipulation in optofluidics. Opt Express 13:7265
Egatz-Gómez A, Melle S, García AA, Lindsay SA, Márquez M, Domínguez-García P, Rubio MA, Picraux ST, Taraci JL, Clement T, Yang D, Hayes MA, Gust D (2006) Discrete magnetic microfluidics. Appl Phys Lett 89:129902
Erickson D, Rockwood T, Emery T, Scherer A, Psaltis D (2006) Nanofluidic tuning of photonic crystal circuits. Opt Lett 31:59
Galas JC, Torres J, Belotti M, Kou Q, Chen Y (2005) Microfluidic tunable dye laser with integrated mixer and ring resonator. Appl Phys Lett 86:264101
Garstecki P, Fischbach MA, Whitesides GM (2005) Design for mixing using bubbles in branched microfluidic channels. Appl Phys Lett 86:244108
Gersborg-Hansen M, Balslev S, Mortensen NA, A. Kristensen A (2005) A coupled cavity micro fluidic dye ring laser. Microelectro Eng 78–79:185
Gray S (1697) A letter from Mr. Stephen Gray, from Canterbury, May the 12th 1697, concerning making water subservient to the viewing both near, distant objects, with the description of a natural reflecting microscope. Philos Trans (1683–1775) 19:539
Hayes RA, Feenstra BJ (2003) Video-speed electronic paper based on electrowetting. Nature 425:383
Heikenfeld J, Steckl AJ (2005a) High-transmission electrowetting light valves. Appl Phys Lett 86:151121
Heikenfeld J, Steckl AJ (2005b) Intense switchable fluorescence in light wave coupled electrowetting devices. Appl Phys Lett 86:011105
Hsieh J, Mach P, Cattaneo F, Yang S, Krupenkine T, Baldwin K, Rogers JA (2003) Tunable microfluidic optical-fiber devices based on electrowetting pumps and plastic microchannels. IEEE Photonics Technol Lett 15:81
Jeon NL, Dertinger SKW, Chiu DT, Choi IS, Stroock AD, Whitesides GM (2000) Generation of solution and surface gradients using microfluidic systems. Langmuir 16:8311
Knollman GC, Bellin JLS, Weaver JL (1971) Variable-focus liquid filled hydroacoustic lens. J Acoust Soc Am 49:253
Krogmann F, Mönch W, Zappe H (2006) A MEMS-based variable micro-lens system. J Opt A Pure Appl Opt 8:330
Krupenkin T, Yang S, Mach P (2003) Tunable liquid microlens. Appl Phys Lett 82:316
Kuiper S, Hendriks BHW (2004) Variable-focus liquid lens for miniature cameras. Appl Phys Lett 85:1128
Laser DJ, Santiago JG (2004) A review of micropumps. J Micromech Microeng 14:35
Levy U, Campbell K, Groisman A, Mookherjea S, Fainman Y (2006) On-chip microfluidic tuning of an optical microring resonator. Appl Phys Lett 88:111107
Li Z, Zhang Z, Scherer A, Psaltis D (2006) Mechanically tunable optofluidic distributed feedback dye laser. Opt Express 14:10494
Mach P, Krupenkin T, Yang S, Rogers JA (2002a) Dynamic tuning of optical waveguides with electrowetting pumps and recirculating fluid channels. Appl Phys Lett 81:202
Mach P, Dolinski M, Baldwin KW, Rogers JA, Kerbage C, Windeler RS, Eggleton BJ (2002b) Tunable microfluidic optical fiber. Appl Phys Lett 80:4294
Monat C, Domachuk P, Eggleton BJ (2007) Integrated optofluidics: a new river of light. Nature Photonics 1:106
Mugele F, Baret JC (2005) Electrowetting: from basics to applications. J Phys Condens Matter 17:705
Mugele F, Baret JC, Steinhauser D (2006) Microfluidic mixing through electrowetting-induced droplet oscillations. Appl Phys Lett 88:204106
Naumov AF, Loktev MY, Guralnik IR, Vdovin G (1998) Liquid-crystal adaptive lenses with modal control. Opt Lett 23:992
Pang L, Levy U, Campbell K, Groisman A, Fainman Y (2005) A set of two orthogonal adaptive cylindrical lenses in a monolith elastomer device. Opt Express 13:9003
Psaltis D, Quake SR, Yang C (2006) Developing optofluidic technology through the fusion of microfluidics and optics. Nature 442:381
Ren H, Wu JR, Fan YH, Lin YH, Wu ST (2005) Hermaphroditic liquid-crystal microlens. Opt Lett 30:376
Ren H, Fox D, Anderson PA, Wu B, Wu ST (2006) Tunable-focus liquid lens controlled using a servo motor. Opt Express 14:8031
Sato S (1979) Liquid-crystal lens-cells with variable focal length. Jpn J Appl Phys 18:1679
Smith NR, Abeysinghe DC, Haus JW, Heikenfeld J (2006) Agile wide-angle beam steering with electrowetting microprisms. Opt Express 14:6557
Tang SKY, Mayers BT, Vezenov DV, Whitesides GM (2006) Optical waveguiding using thermal gradients across homogeneous liquids in microfluidic channels. Appl Phys Lett 88:061112
Unger MA, Chou HP, Thorsen T, Scherer A, Quake SR (2000) Monolithic microfabricated valves and pumps by multilayer soft lithography. Science 288:113
Wan Z, Zeng H, Feinerman A (2006) Area-tunable micromirror based on electrowetting actuation of liquid-metal droplets. Appl Phys Lett 89:201107
Werber A, Zappe H (2005) Tunable microfluidic microlenses. Appl Opt 44:3238
Whitesides GM (2006) The origins and the future of microfluidics. Nature 442:368
Wolfe DB, Conroy RS, Garstecki P, Mayers BT, Fischbach MA, Paul KE, Prentiss M, Whitesides GM (2004) Dynamic control of liquid-core/liquid-cladding optical waveguides. PNAS 101:12434
Wright BM (1968) UK Patent No. 1,209,234
Xia YN, Whitesides GM (1998) Soft lithography. Annu Rev Mater Sci 28:153
Zhang DY, Lien V, Berdichevsky Y, Choi J, Lo YH (2003) Fluidic adaptive lens with high focal length tunability. Appl Phys Lett 82:3171
Zhang DY, Justis N, Lo YH (2004a) Fluidic adaptive lens of transformable lens type. Appl Phys Lett 84:4194
Zhang DY, Justis N, Lien N, Berdichevsky Y, Lo YH (2004b) High-performance fluidic adaptive lenses. Appl Opt 43:783
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Levy, U., Shamai, R. Tunable optofluidic devices. Microfluid Nanofluid 4, 97–105 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-007-0216-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-007-0216-x