Optofluidics

Applications of the technology include displays, biosensors, lab-on-chip devices, lenses, and molecular imaging tools and energy.

The idea of fluid-optical devices can be traced back at least as far as the 18th century, when spinning pools of mercury were proposed (and eventually developed) as liquid-mirror telescopes.

In the 20th century new technologies such as dye lasers and liquid-core waveguides were developed that took advantage of the tunability and physical adaptability that liquids provided to these newly emerging photonic systems.

Optofluidics, Inc. was launched in 2011 from Cornell University in order to develop tools for molecular trapping and disease diagnosis based on photonic resonator technology.

[8] Viewig et al. used microfluidic technology to selectively fill sections of photonic crystal fibers with fluids that exhibit a high degree of Kerr nonlinearity such as toluene and carbon tetrachloride.

The resulting optical cavity varies in resonant frequency depending on size, air pressure, and electric fields.