The integration of liquid and optical elements on the same chip is essential for applying optical techniques, such as absorption spectroscopy, with a minute sample volume in lab-on-a-chip Microsystems. In this context it is a challenge that most relevant aqueous solutions have a refractive index around 1.33, while materials such as polymers and glass, which are normally used for lab-on-a-chip devices, have a larger refractive index, typically above 1.40. In order to confine light and liquid in the same volume on a chip, a low index cladding material is needed to form a so-called liquid core waveguide. In the LiCorT research project we aim to combine synthesis of nanoporous polymer material - yielding refractive index below 1.3 – with planar microfabrication technology to create a cost-efficient and practical technology platform for liquid core waveguide devices. This Physics & Nanotechnology project is concerned with fabrication and characterization of such all-polymer liquid core waveguide devices.

In the project you will:

   -Get an understanding of liquid core waveguide technology and the different approaches to fabricating them

   -Learn the theory of dielectric waveguides, and become able to calculate the number of supported modes and what they look like

   -Work in the DANCHIP clean room to fabricate Si molds and cast the nanoporous self-assembling polymer on the molds

   -Perform optical characterization of the liquid core waveguides and do cut-back measurements to measure the loss

References: N. Gopalakrishnan, K. S. Sagar, M. B. Christiansen, M. E. Vigild, S. Ndoni, and A. Kristensen "UV patterned nanoporous solid-liquid core waveguides" Optics Express, Vol. 18, 12903 - 12908 (2010) http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-18-12-12903

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