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Towards multimaterial multifunctional fibres that see, hear, sense and communicate

Nature Materials volume 6, pages 336–347 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Virtually all electronic and optoelectronic devices necessitate a challenging assembly of conducting, semiconducting and insulating materials into specific geometries with low-scattering interfaces and microscopic feature dimensions. A variety of wafer-based processing approaches have been developed to address these requirements, which although successful are at the same time inherently restricted by the wafer size, its planar geometry and the complexity associated with sequential high-precision processing steps. In contrast, optical-fibre drawing from a macroscopic preformed rod is simpler and yields extended lengths of uniform fibres. Recently, a new family of fibres composed of conductors, semiconductors and insulators has emerged. These fibres share the basic device attributes of their traditional electronic and optoelectronic counterparts, yet are fabricated using conventional preform-based fibre-processing methods, yielding kilometres of functional fibre devices. Two complementary approaches towards realizing sophisticated functions are explored: on the single-fibre level, the integration of a multiplicity of functional components into one fibre, and on the multiple-fibre level, the assembly of large-scale two- and three-dimensional geometric constructs made of many fibres. When applied together these two approaches pave the way to multifunctional fabric systems.

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Figure 1: Wavelength-scalable hollow-core PBG fibres.
Figure 2: Tunable external reflection microcavity PBG fibres.

Fig. 2a,b © 2005 OSA

Figure 3: Metal–semiconductor–insulator fibre devices.

Fig. 3c,d,e © 2006 WILEY

Figure 4: Self-monitoring hollow-core fibres.
Figure 5: Narrow-band photodetecting fibres.
Figure 6: Surface-emitting fibre lasers.

© 2006 OSA

Figure 7: Two- and three-dimensional optical and thermal fibre arrays.
Figure 8: Fibre-device integrated bundles produced by stacking and redrawing.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to John D. Joannopoulos for his support, dedication and vision without which the results reported would not have materialized. We thank S. Johnson, M. Soljacic, M. Ibanescu, J. Arnold, D. Deng, D. Saygin-Hinczewski and J-F. Viens. This work was supported by US Army ISN, ONR, AFRL, NSF, US DOE and DARPA. We also thank the RLE for its support. This work was also supported in part by the MRSEC Program of the National Science Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. G. Benoit, S. D. Hart, K. Kuriki & B. Temelkuran

    Present address: Present addresses: 3M Display and Graphics Film Laboratory, 3M Center, Building 0236-02-A-06, St Paul, Minnesota 55144, USA (G. B.); 3M Optical Systems Division, 3M Center, Building 235-1E-54, St Paul, Minnesota 55144, USA (S. D. H.); GE-Plastics, Global Marketing, Global Application Technology, 2-2 Kinugaoka, Moka, Tochigi 321-4392, Japan (K. K.); OmniGuide, One Kendall Square Building 100, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA (B. T.),

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts, USA

    A. F. Abouraddy, M. Bayindir, K. Kuriki, B. Temelkuran & Y. Fink

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts, USA

    G. Benoit, S. D. Hart, N. Orf, F. Sorin & Y. Fink

  3. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts, USA

    O. Shapira

  4. Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Ankara, 06800, Turkey

    M. Bayindir

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Abouraddy, A., Bayindir, M., Benoit, G. et al. Towards multimaterial multifunctional fibres that see, hear, sense and communicate. Nature Mater 6, 336–347 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1889

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