Variable optofluidic slit aperture

• DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.5
• Publication Date: 2016-01-01T07:38:05Z
• Authors: Stefan Schuhladen; Kaustubh Banerjee; Moritz Stürmer; Philipp Müller; Ulrike Wallrabe; Hans Zappe
• Keywords: Slit; Aperture (computer memory); Fluidics; Opacity; Optofluidics

The shape of liquid interfaces can be precisely controlled using electrowetting, an actuation mechanism which has been widely used for tunable optofluidic micro-optical components such as lenses or irises. We have expanded the considerable flexibility inherent in electrowetting to realize a variable slit, and reconfigurable two-dimensional aperture with no mechanically moving parts. This slit is formed by movement two highly opaque ink droplets. 1.5 mm long aperture, controllably discrete widths down 45 µm, may scanned across length switching times between adjacent positions less than 120 ms. In addition, fixed position, width tuned minimum 3 µm high uniformity linearity over entire length. compact, purely fluidic device offers electrically tuning range not achievable extant mechanical alternatives similar size. A that based on fabricated researchers Germany. Compact apertures are desired use miniaturized optical systems, but slits tend too bulky systems. Now, Stefan Schuhladen coworkers at University Freiburg realized It its µm. time ms positions. performance surpasses same