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Polymers in Photonics: Controlling Information by Manipulating Light

In electronic devices, the control of Another type of liquid crystal-polymer

information, with the generation, modulation, composite is discussed in the Perspective by De
transmission, collection and storage of data, is Sio and Tabyrian. Here the authors describe the
achieved by components that respond to and fabrication and use of layered structures of
affect electron flow and charge distribution. liquid crystals and polymers, whose optical
The electronic revolution of the past few properties can be switched by an electric field,
decades has been made possible by the which could be of interest as switchable
development of ever smaller and more diffractive optical elements with fast response
powerful integrated circuits and of extended times in photonics devices.
networks to exchange data between large Priimagi and Shevchenko discuss how
numbers of electronic devices. In photonics, polymers containing azobenzene derivatives,
the control of information is achieved by light which undergo photoisomerization under
(photons) and it has the potential to overcome appropriate illumination conditions and thus
circumvent these limitations include, for
some of the limitations of the current experience large-amplitude molecular
example, using plasmonics to localize and
generation of electronic devices, in terms of motions, can be used to produce surface relief
miniaturize elements. Quantum computing
speed and bandwidth attainable. Data gratings with micro- and nano-scale features
offers an alternate approach to information
transmission already relies heavily on passive for applications in a variety of optical devices.
processing for which light is inherently well-
optical elements like optical fibers, but optical suited. Active research areas include the A different approach to generating periodic
signals are converted to digital electronic development of new materials and the polymeric structures is overviewed by Li,
information at the transmitting and receiving optimization of their properties, the design of Smith and Bunning, in which fabrication
ends of the communication system. Data viable optical circuitry and architectures in 2D techniques, material properties induced by
storage is also accomplished with passive or 3D, and the identification of common phase separation, and applications of the
polymeric materials such as those in compact protocols on which to develop modular patterned materials are presented.
discs, but again, the optical signals are building blocks that can be assembled into Lynn, Blanche and Peyghambarian focus on
converted to electronic signals. more complex structures. The final integrated photorefractive polymers, with emphasis on
It is in principle possible to accomplish all solution will most likely be a combination of their use in holography and on models for the
the functions of electronic devices with optical organic and inorganic materials, building on materials response. Polymer versatility is
equivalents. In these photonic devices, starting the strengths of both types. evident in tunable distributed feedback lasers,
with light from sources like light emitting In this developing environment, polymers as discussed in the review by Andrews,
diodes (LEDs) and lasers, optical information show promise as being instrumental to a Crescimanno, Singer, and Baer. Ioppolo and
can be encoded and controlled by linear and/ variety of the sub-components, both passive coworkers demonstrate the effect of electric
or nonlinear optical filters and switches, and and active. One of the advantages of polymers and magnetic fields on optical resonances of
routed/transmitted through optical fibers, over other materials classes is that their polymeric microspheres, which can be
waveguides, and/or photonic crystals to physical and optical properties can be tailored exploited as an operating principle for sensors.
collection vessels like photodetectors. Optical to a large extent by controlling the chemical Whereas it is not possible to review all the
information can be transferred over long structure and degree of polymerization. recent work devoted to the material
distances or processed locally on optically Functionalities can be added by incorporating development and understanding of
integrated circuits. In active configurations, appropriate molecular moieties into the requirements for polymer-based photonics in a
filters and modulators controlled by electric or polymer chain or as side pendants. Polymers single journal issue, the chosen contributors
magnetic fields, the local thermal environment, can be processed using a variety of methods, provide a wide sampling of the rich and
or with light itself can be used to dynamically including solution and gas-phase deposition, multidisciplinary research being carried out
change the direction, amplitude, phase, or and can be made compatible by suitable across the world in polymer optics. As the control
wavelength of optical signals. surface functionalization with substrate of data and information becomes increasingly
Due to the complexity of optically chemistry (including inorganic building more reliant on the efficient transport of light,
integrated circuits, a combination of materials blocks). Polymers also have the potential to be the need for versatile, inexpensive polymeric
and fabrication techniques are likely needed produced on a large scale and at low cost. materials continues to grow.
to build all the necessary functionalities into a This special issue focuses on the study and
single, small footprint device and to ensure applications of polymers in photonics, as we
compatibility with existing silicon electronics, look towards realizing a future as outlined Mariacristina Rumi, Timothy J. Bunning
where needed. Many practical problems still above. Sun and Wu review the development of Air Force Research Laboratory
need to be solved before photonics can fully polymer network liquid crystals for use in Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
affect how we process and transmit spatial light modulators and the search for AFRL/MLPJ
information, such as miniaturization issues optimized operation conditions of such devices Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,
caused by diffraction limitations. Strategies to by varying monomer and liquid crystal host. OH 45433 USA

DOI: 10.1002/polb.23432
C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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