Nanocomposite‐based stretchable optics

Abstract

Stretchable and conformable optical devices open up very exciting perspectives for the fabrication of systems incorporating diffracting and optical power in a single element. Supersonic cluster beam implantation of silver nanoparticles in an elastomeric substrate grooved by molding allows effective fabrication of cheap and simple stretchable optical elements able to withstand thousands of deformations and stretching cycles without any degradation of their optical properties. The nanocomposite‐based reflective optical devices were characterized both morphologically and optically showing excellent performances and stability compared to similar devices fabricated with standard techniques. The nanocomposite‐based devices can therefore be applied to arbitrary curved nonoptical grade surfaces in order to achieve optical power and to minimize aberrations like astigmatism. The high resilience of the nanocomposite material on which the devices are based allows them to be peeled and reused multiple times.

Metal-polymer nanocomposite with stable plasmonic tuning under cyclic strain conditions

“…[11][12][13] In view of applications, a fundamental issue is the stability of the nanocomposite optical properties upon cyclic strain conditions; to date, no characterization of this aspect is reported in the literature, although there are clear evidences that nanoparticles in an elastomeric matrix are a dynamic system undergoing rearrangement and reorganization upon stretching. 19 Recently, we showed that neutral metal clusters produced in the gas phase and aerodynamically accelerated by a supersonic expansion can be implanted in a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate to obtain a nanocomposite with superior resilience and interesting optical properties for the fabrication of stretchable and conformable reflective gratings; 20,21 this approach is called Supersonic Cluster Beam Implantation (SCBI).…”

Conventional elastomers doped with benzophenone derivatives as effective media for all-optical fabrication of tunable diffraction elements

“…One of the most promising materials are elastic polymers, such as polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS), which thanks to their huge and reversible elastic deformations and good optical quality are widely used for the production of exible and stretchable optical diffraction elements and devices: gratings, couplers, lters, lenses, beam steering devices etc. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Particular attention is focused on the diffraction gratings as the most simple and versatile element for light dispersion. In most studies the gratings manufactured in elastic materials (mostly PDMS) using a replica molding technique are surface relief gratings (SRGs), i.e.…”

A simple scanning spectrometer based on a stretchable elastomeric reflective grating

“…10 In general, drawbacks occur due to the limited durability of the optical elements, which hardly maintain their properties when stretched a huge number of times and/or by a large fraction of their original size. [12][13][14] Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of a simple scanning spectrometer based on a stretchable reflective grating obtained by the metallization of a PDMS replica mold by Supersonic Cluster Beam Implantation (SCBI) of silver nanoparticles. The spectrometer operates in the range of visible optical wavelengths (350-650 nm), spectral components are selected by linearly stretching the grating and collected by a slit placed in front of a photodiode.…”

“…12. Briefly, the back of a commercial DVD (groove pitch 740 nm) was used as a master for the molding of the PDMS (Sylgard 184 from Dow Corning, 1:10 ratio) substrate, obtaining a transparent elastomeric diffraction grating.…”

“…The transparent grating was then made reflective by implanting silver nanoparticles by means of a SCBI apparatus equipped with a Pulsed Microplasma Cluster Source (PMCS), as described in Ref. 12. Briefly, a PMCS consists in a ceramic body with a cavity in which a solid silver target (purity 99.9%) is vaporized by a localized electrical discharge supported by a pulsed injection of an inert gas (He or Ar) at high pressure (40 bars).…”