Ki-Hun Jeong

Tunable liquid-filled microlens array integrated with microfluidic network

An elastomer-based tunable liquid-filled microlens array integrated on top of a microfluidic network is fabricated using soft lithographic techniques. The simultaneous control of the focal length of all the microlenses composing the elastomeric array is accomplished by pneumatically regulating the pressure of the microfluidic network. A focal length tuning range of hundreds of microns to several millimeters is achieved. Such an array can be used potentially in dynamic imaging systems and adaptive optics.

Tunable microdoublet lens array

We report a tunable microdoublet lens capable of creating dual modes of biconvex or meniscus lens. The microdoublet lens consists of a tunable liquid-filled lens and a solid negative lens. It can be tuned either by changing the shape of the liquid-filled lens into biconvex or meniscus or by changing a filling media with different refractive index. The microfabrication is based on photopolymer microdispensing and elastomer micromolding methods. The microdoublet lens can provide a solution for minimizing optical aberrations and maximizing the tunability of focal length or field of view by controlling variable and fixed lens curvatures.

Glass Nanopillar Arrays with Nanogap‐Rich Silver Nanoislands for Highly Intense Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

The enhancement of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with nanogap-rich silver nanoislands surrounding glass nanopillars at wafer level is reported. High-density hot spots are generated by increasing the number of nanogap-rich nanoislands within a detection volume. The SERS substrate shows a high enhancement factor of over 10(7) with excellent signal uniformity (∼7.8%) and it enables the label-free detection of aqueous DNA base molecules at nanomolar level.

Enhancement of Terahertz Pulse Emission by Optical Nanoantenna

Bridging the gap between ultrashort pulsed optical waves and terahertz (THz) waves, the THz photoconductive antenna (PCA) is a major constituent for the emission or detection of THz waves by diverse optical and electrical methods. However, THz PCA still lacks employment of advanced breakthrough technologies for high-power THz emission. Here, we report the enhancement of THz emission power by incorporating optical nanoantennas with a THz photoconductive antenna. The confinement and concentration of an optical pump beam on a photoconductive substrate can be efficiently achieved with optical nanoantennas over a high-index photoconductive substrate. Both numerical and experimental results clearly demonstrate the enhancement of THz wave emission due to high photocarrier generation at the plasmon resonance of nanoantennas. This work opens up many opportunities for diverse integrated photonic elements on a single PCA at THz and optical frequencies.

Biologically inspired LED lens from cuticular nanostructures of firefly lantern

Cuticular nanostructures found in insects effectively manage light for light polarization, structural color, or optical index matching within an ultrathin natural scale. These nanostructures are mainly dedicated to manage incoming light and recently inspired many imaging and display applications. A bioluminescent organ, such as a firefly lantern, helps to out-couple light from the body in a highly efficient fashion for delivering strong optical signals in sexual communication. However, the cuticular nanostructures, except the light-producing reactions, have not been well investigated for physical principles and engineering biomimetics. Here we report a unique observation of high-transmission nanostructures on a firefly lantern and its biological inspiration for highly efficient LED illumination. Both numerical and experimental results clearly reveal high transmission through the nanostructures inspired from the lantern cuticle. The nanostructures on an LED lens surface were fabricated by using a large-area nanotemplating and reconfigurable nanomolding with heat-induced shear thinning. The biologically inspired LED lens, distinct from a smooth surface lens, substantially increases light transmission over visible ranges, comparable to conventional antireflection coating. This biological inspiration can offer new opportunities for increasing the light extraction efficiency of high-power LED packages.

Microfabricated suspensions for electrical connections on the tunable elastomer membrane

Electrical connections through microfabricated suspensions on a pneumatically pumped elastomer membrane were demonstrated. A method to fabricate the suspensions on the elastomer membrane was developed. The elastomer membrane was 1 mm in diameter and 120 μm in thickness. Resistances of the microfabricated suspensions measured across the elastomer membrane were within 1% difference when the membrane’s center deflection ranged from 0 to 100 μm, which corresponded to a numerical aperture change from 0 to 0.2 as well as a 2.6% elongation of the elastomer.

Terahertz photoconductive antenna with metal nanoislands

This work presents a nanoplasmonic photoconductive antenna (PCA) with metal nanoislands for enhancing terahertz (THz) pulse emission. The whole photoconductive area was fully covered with metal nanoislands by using thermal dewetting of thin metal film at relatively low temperature. The metal nanoislands serve as plasmonic nanoantennas to locally enhance the electric field of an ultrashort pulsed pump beam for higher photocarrier generation. The plasmon resonance of metal nanoislands was achieved at an excitation laser wavelength by changing the initial thickness of metal film. This nanoplasmonic PCA shows two times higher enhancement for THz pulse emission power than a conventional PCA. This work opens up a new opportunity for plasmon enhanced large-aperture THz photoconductive antennas.

Beyond the SERS: Raman Enhancement of Small Molecules Using Nanofluidic Channels with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance

This work was supported by KRIBB (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2010–0017693).

Optofluidic SERS chip with plasmonic nanoprobes self-aligned along microfluidic channels

This work reports an optofluidic SERS chip with plasmonic nanoprobes self-aligned along microfluidic channels. Plasmonic nanoprobes with rich electromagnetic hot spots are selectively patterned along PDMS microfluidic channels by using a Scotch tape removal and oxygen plasma treatment, which also provide the permanent bonding between PDMS and a glass substrate. A silver film with an initial thickness of 30 nm after oxygen plasma treatment creates nanotips and nanodots with a maximum SERS performance, which were successfully implanted with microfluidic concentration gradient generators. The novel device enables the label-free and solution-phase SERS detection of small molecules with low Raman activity such as dopamine at micromolar level in flow. This optofluidic SERS chip can be readily expanded for microfluidic networks with diverse functions for advanced optical biochemical assays.

Forward imaging OCT endoscopic catheter based on MEMS lens scanning

This Letter reports a fully packaged microelectromechanical system (MEMS) endoscopic catheter for forward imaging optical coherence tomography (OCT). Two-dimensional optical scanning of Lissajous patterns was realized by the orthogonal movement of two commercial aspherical glass lenses laterally mounted on two resonating electrostatic MEMS microstages at low operating voltages. The MEMS lens scanner was integrated on a printed circuit board and packaged with an aluminum housing, a gradient index fiber collimator, and an objective lens. A home-built spectral-domain OCT system with 60 kHz A-line acquisition rate was combined with the endoscopic MEMS catheter. Three-dimensional images of 256×256×995 voxels were directly reconstructed by mapping the A-line datasets along the Lissajous patterns. The endoscopic catheter can provide a new direction for forward endoscopic OCT imaging.