Reversible tuning of photonic crystal cavities using photochromic thin films

Journal Article · Mon Apr 12 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3377910· OSTI ID:21347399

Sridharan, Deepak; Waks, Edo ^[1]; Solomon, Glenn ^[2]; Fourkas, John T ^[3]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, IREAP, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States) and Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (United States)
3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, and Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)

We demonstrate reversible tuning of a photonic crystal cavity resonance using a thin photochromic film composed of spiropyran and polymethylmethacrylate that serves as a photosensitive cladding layer. Exposure of spiropyran to ultraviolet light results in smooth redshift of the cavity resonance that can be reversed by exposure to visible wavelength light. We achieve a reversible resonance shift of up to 2.7 nm, which can be performed locally on individual cavities. The resonance shift over multiple successive UV and visible light exposures is studied to determine the repeatability of the photochromic film.

• OSTI ID: 21347399
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 96; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CHEMISTRY
CLADDING
CRYSTALS
DEPOSITION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ESTERS
FILMS
LAYERS
OPTICS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PMMA
POLYACRYLATES
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
RADIATIONS
RED SHIFT
RESONANCE
SURFACE COATING
THIN FILMS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION