Tufts University

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Mark Cronin-Golomb

Fiorenzo G Omenetto

Brian D Lawrence

David L Kaplan

Charles L Woods

Irene Georgakoudi

Jehad Khoury

Joseph Shamir

Jack Fu

Robert A Gonsalves

Peter D Gianino

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical device includes providing a polymer, providing a substrate, casting the polymer on the substrate, and enzymatically polymerizing an organic compound to generate a conducting polymer between the provided polymer and the substrate. The polymer may be a biopolymer such as silk and may be modified using organic compounds such as tyrosines to provide a molecular-level interface between the provided bulk biopolymer of the biopolymer optical device and a substrate or other conducting layer via a tyrosine-enzyme polymerization. The enzymatically polymerizing may include catalyzing the organic compound with peroxidase enzyme reactions. The result is a carbon-carbon conjugated backbone that provides polymeric 'wires' for use in polymer and biopolymer optical devices. An all organic biopolymer electroactive material is thereby provided that provides optical functions and features.

Electroactive biopolymer optical and electro-optical devices and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optofluidic device including providing a biopolymer, processing the biopolymer to yield a biopolymer matrix solution, providing a substrate, casting the biopolymer matrix solution on the substrate, embedding a channel mold in the biopolymer matrix solution, drying the biopolymer matrix solution to solidify biopolymer optofluidic device, and extracting the embedded channel mold to provide a fluidic channel in the solidified biopolymer optofluidic device. In accordance with another aspect, an optofluidic device is provided that is made of a biopolymer and that has a channel therein for conveying fluid.

Biopolymer optofluidic device and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a nanopatterned biopolymer optical device includes providing a biopolymer, processing the biopolymer to yield a biopolymer matrix solution, providing a substrate with a nanopatterned surface, casting the biopolymer matrix solution on the nanopatterned surface of the substrate, and drying the biopolymer matrix solution to form a solidified biopolymer film on the substrate, where the solidified biopolymer film is formed with a surface having a nanopattern thereon. In another embodiment, the method also includes annealing the solidified biopolymer film. A nanopatterned biopolymer optical device includes a solidified biopolymer film with a surface having a nanopattern is also provided.

Nanopatterned biopolymer optical device and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer sensor including providing a biopolymer, processing the biopolymer to yield a biopolymer matrix solution, adding a biological material in the biopolymer matrix, providing a substrate, casting the matrix solution on the substrate, and drying the biopolymer matrix solution to form a solidified biopolymer sensor on the substrate. A biopolymer sensor is also provided that includes a solidified biopolymer film with an embedded biological material.

Biopolymer sensor and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer photonic crystal includes providing a biopolymer, processing the biopolymer to yield a biopolymer matrix solution, providing a substrate, casting the matrix solution on the substrate, and drying the biopolymer matrix solution to form a solidified biopolymer film. A surface of the film is formed with a nanopattern, or a nanopattern is machined on a surface of the film. In another embodiment, a plurality of biopolymer films is stacked together. A photonic crystal is also provided that is made of a biopolymer and has a nanopatterned surface. In another embodiment, the photonic crystal includes a plurality of nanopatterned films that are stacked together.

Biopolymer photonic crystals and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide includes providing a biopolymer, unwinding the biopolymer progressively to extract individual biopolymer fibers, and putting the unwound fibers under tension. The tensioned fibers are then cast in a different polymer to form a biopolymer optical waveguide that guides light due to the difference in indices of refraction between the biopolymer and the different polymer. The optical fibers may be used in biomedical applications and can be inserted in the body as transmissive media. Printing techniques may be used to manufacture the biopolymer optical waveguides.

Biopolymer optical waveguide and method of manufacturing the same

Limiting quadratic processing and compansion in photorefractive two beam coupling is disclosed. Two-beam coupling in photorefractive barium titanate employs the imaged intensity of the signal to amplify the reference beam while maintaining the phase of the reference beam. The phase distorted signal beam is converted to that of the controlled phase of the reference beam. The high pump limit of amplification in this two-beam coupling device produces an amplitude compressed output to reduce multiplicative noise. Lost contrast of the image is thereafter restored. Beam clean-up of a non-intelligence bearing beam can be carried out by a similar process; a low pass filter consisting of a pinhole plate can be used in place of the second photorefractive crystal in the Fourier plane and only the planar wavefront portion will pass through the pinhole and may be collimated by a lens to provide a cleaned planar output beam.

Photorefractive limiting quadratic processor

An all-optical nonlinear joint transform correlator has been implemented for the first time without using a spatial light modulator and digital processing in the Fourier plane. The correlator utilizes energy transfer from two-beam coupling in the Fourier plane. A compressional nonlinearity in the hard-clipped regime is implemented by pumping a weak plane wave with the intense joint spectrum of the reference and signal images. Operation of this device rivals or exceeds that of the phase-only filter for detecting objects in cluttered noise. Experimental results are compared with both plane wave and beam propagation simulations.

Photorefractive two-beam coupling nonlinear joint transform correlator

Achromatic volume holograms are attained for broad band phase conjugation and image reconstruction having bandwidths of 250 nanometers. The holograms are generated by means of a diffraction grating having a predetermined angle of tilt. Achromaticity is achieved by tilting the holographic recording medium at the same predetermined angle.

Achromatic volume holography apparatus

An interferometric device for measuring optical thin film parameters such as refractive index, thickness and absorption uses phase conjugate mirrors in place of standard mirrors. The optical thin film for which the refractive index, thickness and absorption are determined acts as a beam-splitter in the interferometer.

Growing community of inventors

Reading, MA, United States of America

Mark Cronin-Golomb