PHOTONIC CRYSTAL LASERS & BIO-INSPIRED PHOTONICS

Objectives:

1. To develop high efficiency and small divergence photonic band edge lasers

2. To understand the underlying physics

3. To explore new applications

4. To explore the properties of bacteriorhodopsin (a protein molecule) and develop new applications for optical switching, information processing, optical information storage, and adaptive optics.

5. To develop adaptive conformal camouflage

Accomplishments:

1. Developed new dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal lasers

2. Invented new mechanisms for tuning cholesteric liquid crystal lasers

3. Demonstrated an all-optical switch based on the photo-induced birefringence in bacteriorhodopsin film

4. Demonstrated tunable colors for adaptive camouflage

Team Members:  Ying Zhou, Kuan-Ming Chen, Ethan Cheng, and Prof. Lei Zhai