University of California

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Christopher John Bardeen

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera

Jesse A Frantz

Jason D Myers

Colin C Baker

Daniel L Rhonehouse

Geoffrey Chin

Peter Alexander Morrison

Xin Li

Ming Lee Tang

Zhiyuan Huang

Kerry Miller Hanson

Brandon F Lui

A photon-activated substance is disclosed, which includes a phase change material and a photon activated substance. The photon activated substance can be at least one of (2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO), azobenzene (AZOB), 4-Nitro-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene, Lumogen orange 240, and guaiazulene (GAZ).

Method and system using small molecule absorbers to create a photothermal actuator

Systems and methods are provided for a mechanical actuator based on a fiber optic platform. A material that is configured to be activated by light is incorporated into an optical fiber that serves as both an actuator and a power delivery network. This platform is adaptable to different materials, types of motions, and length scales and allows for precise delivery of photons to the material.

Optomechanical fiber actuator

Systems and methods are provided for a mechanical actuator based on a fiber optic platform. A material that is configured to be activated by light may be incorporated into an optical fiber that serves as both an actuator and a power delivery network. This platform is adaptable to different materials, types of motions, and length scales and allows for precise delivery of photons to the material.

The ability to upconvert two low energy photons into one high energy photon has potential applications in solar cells, photodetectors and data storage. In this disclosure, CdSe and PbSe semiconductor nanocrystals are combined with molecular emitters (diphenylanthracene and rubrene) to upconvert photons in both the visible and near infrared spectral regions. Absorption of low energy photons by the nanocrystals is followed by energy transfer to the molecular triplet states, which then undergo triplet-triplet annihilation to create high energy singlet states that emit upconverted light. By using conjugated organic ligands on the nanocrystals to form an energy cascade, the upconversion process can be enhanced by up to three orders of magnitude. The use of different combinations of nanocrystals and emitters shows that this platform has great flexibility in the choice of both excitation and emission wavelengths.

Hybrid molecule-nanocrystal photon upconversion across the visible and near-infrared

Growing community of inventors

Riverside, CA, United States of America

Christopher John Bardeen