This research activity is focused on investigating and testing novel optical phenomena and devices in the microfluidic environment. The aim is to contribute in the advance of the Lab-on-chip technology in view of developing a novel optofluidic chip including a full equipped optics lab from source to detector. Presently the investigation is focused along two line directions. In the first one novel optofluidic lasers fully embedded in glass are investigated. After the successful realization of the first high Q factor Fabry-Perot based optofluidic laser in a glass chip, the research is developed to optimize the cavity configuration in order to reduce the threshold to allow LED source pumping. The second line concerns the development of liquid crystal microfluidic modulators based on hybrid nematic-Lithium Niobate structures to get an optofluidic all-optical switch.
This activity is carried on in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology providing the chip fabrication.
