Thermocapillary Manipulation of Liquid Optical Waveguides
Mentors
Project Description
The overall goal of this project is to explore how light can be guided and manipulated inside a thin liquid film, turning it into an optical waveguide with real-time dynamic control over its functionality. If a liquid film is suspended within an immiscible liquid environment, it will maintain uniform and smooth surfaces, preventing branching of light that is typically observed in soap films. By prescribing a non-uniform temperature distribution on the surface of the suspended film, one can control its local thickness via the thermocapillary effect, which is the variation of a liquid’s surface tension with temperature. This may allow the creation of liquid channels within the film, guiding the light in any desired path. By changing the prescribed temperature in real time, one can continuously bend and move the liquid channels, resulting in a programmable liquid film optical waveguide. In this project, the REU student will design, fabricate, and test such a proof-of-concept experiment that manipulates a single beam of light inside a liquid film.
Research Participant
Program: INM REU
Futchi Yang, Research Experiences for Undergraduates.
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Research Goals
Learning Goals
Timeline
Weeks 1: Learning about the project and how to use the relevant equipment in the lab
Weeks 2-3: Design and fabrication of the first liquid film frame, followed by the deployment of film in an aqueous environment. Coupling the optical fiber to the frame
Weeks 4-7: Designing, constructing, and integrating the first thermal elements into the supporting frame, followed by a first proof of concept experiment
Week 8-9: Data acquisition and analysis for different optical, thermal and geometric parameters
Weeks 10: Preparing the final presentation