Optical Switch Based on Shape-Deformable Liquids

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Abstract
We report an optical switch based on shape-deformable liquids. Two immiscible liquids are sandwiched between glass substrates. One liquid is clear and the other is black. The clear liquid forms a droplet, which presents a cylindrical shape upon touching both glass substrates. The black liquid is used to fill the space outside the droplet. The dielectric constant of the clear liquid is larger than that of the black liquid. In the voltage-off state, the cylindrical droplet opens a channel that allows incident light to pass through. When a voltage is applied to the liquids, the diameter of the channel reduces, causing the intensity of the transmitted light to decrease. In contrast to previous liquid-based optical switch devices, this device operates in the normal mode. Such a device has the advantages of easy fabrication, large variability of the aperture size, and good mechanical stability.

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