Strip-loaded waveguide on titanium dioxide thin films by nanoimprint replication.

We present a convenient, low-cost, and mass-production-compatible technique for the fabrication of strip-loaded waveguides. The technique is based on the atomic layer deposition of a slab waveguide, nanoimprinting of a strip, and integration of two structures by lamination. The guiding layer is chosen to be a 200 nm thick titanium dioxide film.

Strip-loaded horizontal slot waveguide.

We introduce a novel concept for an optical waveguide called a strip-loaded slot waveguide. It allows an extraordinary confinement of the field in a waveguide with an extremely tiny (vertical) cross section. Unlike conventional slot waveguides, the proposed configuration has potential for very low propagation losses.

Disposable photonic integrated circuits for evanescent wave sensors by ultra-high volume roll-to-roll method.

Flexible photonic integrated circuit technology is an emerging field expanding the usage possibilities of photonics, particularly in sensor applications, by enabling the realization of conformable devices and introduction of new alternative production methods. Here, we demonstrate that disposable polymeric photonic integrated circuit devices can be produced in lengths of hundreds of meters by ultra-high volume roll-to-roll methods on a flexible carrier. Attenuation properties of hundreds of individual devices were measured confirming that waveguides with good and repeatable performance were fabricated.

Finite frequency f-sum rule for assessment of number density of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Kramers-Kronig relation for refractive index of colloidal gold.

Absorption spectra from colloids containing different concentrations of spherical gold nanoparticles in water were measured with a spectrophotometer. The absorption spectra were used to calculate the number density of nanoparticles (NPs) with the aid of an unconventional finite spectral band f-sum rule applied for gold colloid. Good correlation between the number density of dispersion electrons, obtained from the f-sum rule, and the number density of nanoparticles was found.

Kramers-Kronig analysis on the real refractive index of porous media in the terahertz spectral range.

We present a terahertz time-domain experimental technique for the detection of scattering from porous media. The method for detection of the scattering enables one to make a decision when Fresnel or Kramers-Kronig (K-K) analysis can be applied for a porous medium. In this study the real refractive index of a tablet is calculated using the conventional K-K dispersion relation and also using a singly subtractive K-K relation, which are applied to the extinction coefficient obtained from the Beer-Lambert law.

Robust sensor for turbidity measurement from light scattering and absorbing liquids.

Internationally standardized turbidity measurements for probing solid particles in liquid are problematic in the case of simultaneous light scattering and absorption. A method and a sensor to determine the turbidity in the presence of light absorption are presented. The developed sensor makes use of the total internal reflection of a laser beam at the liquid-prism interface, and the turbidity is assessed using the concept of laser speckle pattern.