Tunable photonic device with liquid crystal elastomer microactuators and method of fabricating the same
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsHongrui Jiang, Jae-Jun Kim
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Abstract
A tunable photonic device and method of fabricating the same are provided. The tunable photonic device including a substrate and an actuator having a first end supported by the substrate and a second end in spaced relation to the substrate. A photonic structure is operatively connected to the actuator and a stimulus generator configured to selectively generate a stimulus to act on the actuator. The stimulus acting on the actuator causes deformation of the actuator and moves the photonic structure between first and second positions.
Claims23
A tunable photonic device, comprising:
- a substrate having an upper surface;
- an actuator having a first end supported by the substrate and a second end in spaced relation to the substrate;
- a photonic structure operatively connected to the actuator and being movable between a first position wherein the photonic structure lies in a first plane and a second position wherein the photonic structure lies in a second plane, the photonic structure being configured to perform one or more of scattering, refracting, confining, filtering and processing light;
- and
- a stimulus generator configured to selectively generate a stimulus to act on the actuator;
- wherein the stimulus acting on the actuator causes deformation of the actuator and moves the photonic structure between the first and second positions, and the stimulus is heat and the stimulus generator includes a microheater configured to generate heat to act on the actuator.
A tunable photonic device, comprising:
- a substrate having an upper surface;
- a plurality of actuators arranged in a pattern on the upper surface of the substrate;
- a plurality of photonic structures, each photonic structure operatively connected to at least one of the plurality of actuators and being movable between a first position wherein the photonic structure lies in a first plane and a second position wherein the photonic structure lies in a second plane;
- and
- a stimulus generator configured to generate a stimulus to selectively act on one or more of the plurality of actuators;
- wherein the stimulus acting on the one or more of the plurality of actuators causes one or more of the plurality of photonic structure operatively connected to the one or more of the plurality of actuators to move between the first and second positions, and the stimulus is heat and the stimulus generator includes a plurality of microheaters, each microheater generating heat to act on at least one of the plurality of actuators.
A method of fabricating a tunable photonic device, comprising the steps of:
- interconnecting a dissolvable layer to the actuator;
- interconnecting the actuator to a transfer layer;
- dissolving the dissolvable layer;
- and
- interconnecting the actuator to a support on a substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.