This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 10355, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and Conference Committee listing.

The development of light harvesting systems for directed, efficient control of energy transfer at the biomolecular level has generated considerable interest in the past decade. Molecular fluorophores provide a straightforward mechanism for determining nanoscale distance changes through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and many systems seek to build off of this simple yet powerful principle to provide additional functionality. The use of DNA-based integrated biomolecular devices offer many unique advantages towards this end. DNA itself is an excellent engineering material – it is innately biocompatible, quickly and cheaply synthesized, and complex structures can be readily designed in silico. It also provides an excellent scaffold for the precise patterning of various biomolecules. Here, we discuss the systems that have been recently developed which add to this toolbox, including nanostructural dye patterning, photonic wires, and the incorporation of alternative energy propagation modalities, such as semiconductor quantum dots (QD) and the bioluminescent protein luciferase. In particular, we explore the incorporation of luciferase into various nanostructural conformations, providing the capability to efficiently control energy flow directionality. We discuss the nature of this system, including unexpected spectral complexities, in the context of the field.

DNA based thin film dye laser is one of promising optical devices for future technology. Laser oscillation and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) were demonstrated by hemicyanine-doped DNA complex films prepared with ‘immersion method’ as well as those made by a conventional way. In the immersion process, DNA-surfactant complex films were stained by immersion into an acetone solution including the dyes. In this study, three types of hemicyanines were incorporated with both methods, and laser oscillation was achieved with optically induced population grating formed in all of the complex films. The laser threshold values for six cases ranged in 0.07 – 0.18 mJ/cm² , which was close to the best values made in DNA complex matrices. Continual pumping showed that laser oscillation persisted for 4 – 10 minutes. Immersion process gave superior laser capability especially for output efficiency over the conventional counterparts.

A method of modeling RF properties of multilayered polymer host – metal nanoparticle guest composite films, using the transmission matrix method (TMM) model is presented. This is an alternate, pattern-less, dielectric approach to frequency selective surface electromagnetic interference shielding.

The realization of light-emitting devices based on emitters-graphene assemblies remains challenging, since graphene is known as a strong quencher of electronic excited states through excitation transfer between the adsorbed emitters and the graphene. Hence, a strategy is needed to avoid this transfer through introduction of an accurately controlled emitter–to-graphene electron barrier, for which planar flat-lying molecules are inefficient. Here, the quenching of the fluorescence of the adsorbed dye by the adjacent graphene is hindered at the molecular scale based on a spacer approach, through a specifically designed dual-functionalized self-assembling building block. This 3D tecton presents two faces, one forming a noncovalent graphene-binding pedestal and the other carrying a dye group linked by a spacer to the pedestal. The spontaneous ordering of the adsorbed layer is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy, whereas the resulting optical properties of the whole graphene–dye hybrid system are characterized by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies.

Colloidal photonic crystals are photonic crystals made by bottom-up physical chemistry strategies from monodisperse colloidal particles. The self-assembly process is automatically leading to inherently three-dimensional structures with their optical properties determined by the periodicity, induced by this ordering process, in the dielectric properties of the colloidal material. The best-known optical effect is the photonic band gap, the range of energies, or wavelengths, that is forbidden for photons to exist in the structure. This photonic band gap is similar to the electronic band gap of electronic semiconductor crystals. We have previously shown how with the proper photonic band gap engineering, we can insert allowed pass band defect modes and use the suppressing band gap in combination with the transmitting pass band to induce spectral narrowing of emission. We show now how with a high-quality narrow pass band in a broad stop band, it is possible to achieve photonic crystal lasing in self-assembled colloidal photonic crystals with a planar defect. In addition, with proper surface treatment in combination with patterning, we prepare for addressable integrated photonics. Finally, by incorporating a water in- and outlet, we can create optomicrofluidic structures on a photonic crystal allowing the optical probing of microreactors or micro-stopped-flow in the lab-on-an-optical-chip.

Electrical resistivity, electron and hole barrier heights and interfaces can significantly affect the efficiency of electric field poling of non-linear optic (NLO) polymers. A combination of uniformity of the electric field distribution, charge carrier blocking and behavior of NLO chromophores can be optimized by introducing buffer layers and/or charge carrier blocking layers between the NLO polymer core layer and the anode and cathode electrodes, maximizing the poling field, chromophore alignment, nonlinearity or electro-optic (EO) coefficient, r33, and yield of the poled NLO polymers.

Increased electric field breakdown in several polymer-based capacitor dielectrics, including biaxially oriented polypropylene, has been demonstrated using electron and hole blocking layers. Increased electric field breakdown translates into increased energy density. Presented here is work that includes using these blocking layers for a new capacitor dielectric material with a high permittivity (K). Initial results are promising, increasing the potential for even higher energy density polymer capacitors.

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Thin films of conjugated polymers (CPs) were explored for photothermal pattering of active materials. Due to the semiconductive nature of the CP films, CP film was heated upon NIR exposure via photothermal conversion. Various photothermal patterns were generated from the light pattern generated from POLs. The distance from the POL to the CP substrate was controlled to obtain the target light patterns with the maximum overlap or separation among the diffracted lights. From the light patterns we were able to generate micro thermal patterns to large area thermal pattern, and multiple thermal patterns. The photothermal patterns were used to pattern active layers such as cell sheets which are sensitive to heat. Using thermally responsive interfacing layer (TRI) made of collagen, cell sheets of various shapes were harvested to provide a non-invasive method of live cell sheet preparation. When photothermal CPs were coated on a thermally expandable TRI, the bilayer was folded within few sec of NIR exposure, to generate a complex 3D structure. The degree of folding and reversibility of folding were dependent on the thickness of both CP layer and TRI layer.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a phenomenon in which force exerted on a dielectric particle when it is subjected to a nonuniform electric field. There are many applications of dielectrophoresis and one of them is the separation of particles. In this paper, castellated and straight electrodes are being introduced for negative dep filter of an artificial kidney. In order to avoid the filters from clogging, negative dep will take part to repel the particles. Thus, a simulation by using COMSOL Multiphysics had been done to compare the electrical performances of electrodes. The intensities of electric field were stimulated on the planar electrodes from top to bottom and left to right. Electrodes are made of aluminum and both have thickness of 50μm. Distance between the castellated electrodes are 100μm while the straight electrodes are 300μm. Three graph of electric field vs. length had been compared. The first comparison shows that both designs have similar flow of electric field. The second graphs show that castellated electrodes have higher electric field, 27.14kV/m and third comparison shows a cluster increase for castellated electrodes and uniform increase for straight electrodes. Final result shows that castellated electrodes are intended to use for artificial kidney.

The use of higher vibration modes and different geometries of the AFM piezoelectric micro cantilever (MC) is affected by the surface topography quality in a liquid medium. Therefore, utilizing an appropriate geometry and vibration mode is of a great importance. This paper analyzes AFM MC types with rectangular, dagger and V-shaped geometries in the noncontact and tapping modes in a liquid medium for rough surfaces in Nanoscale. The modified couple stress theory (MCS) in a liquid medium according to Timoshenko beam theory is used in order to enhance the accuracy of equations. In addition, the differential quadrature (DQ) method has been used to solve the equations. Identification of environmental forces helps an exact investigation of the system vibration amplitude. Investigating the effect of geometric and force parameters on the MC vibration behavior leads to understanding the system and to design it properly in a liquid medium. Also, due to oscillating the MC near the sample surface, the effect of interaction forces between the sample surface and the MC, including van der Waals, contact and squeeze forces is analyzed in a liquid medium in addition to the hydrodynamic forces. Furthermore, due to the sever reduction of the MC amplitude caused by the squeeze force; the MC is angled in comparison with the horizontal surface.