Optical Planar Waveguide Sensor with Integrated Digitally-Printed Light Coupling-in and Readout Elements

Optical planar waveguide sensors, able to detect and process information from the environment in a fast, cost-effective, and remote fashion, are of great interest currently in different application areas including security, metrology, automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, energy, environment, or health. Integration of networks of these systems together with other optical elements, such as light sources, readout, or detection systems, in a planar waveguide geometry is greatly demanded towards more compact, portable, and versatile sensing platforms. Herein, we report an optical temperature sensor with a planar waveguide architecture integrating inkjet-printed luminescent light coupling-in and readout elements with matched emission and excitation. The first luminescent element, when illuminated with light in its absorption band, emits light that is partially coupled into the propagation modes of the planar waveguide. Remote excitation of this element can be performed without the need for special alignment of the light source. A thermoresponsive liquid crystal-based film regulates the amount of light coupled out from the planar waveguide at the sensing location. The second luminescent element partly absorbs the waveguided light that reaches its location and emits at longer wavelengths, serving as a temperature readout element through luminescence intensity measurements. Overall, the ability of inkjet technology to digitally print luminescent elements demonstrates great potential for the integration and miniaturization of light coupling-in and readout elements in optical planar waveguide sensing platforms.

Solvents effect on the absorption and fluorescence spectra of 7-diethylamino-3-thenoylcoumarin: evaluation and correlation between solvatochromism and solvent polarity parameters

Effect of solvents of varying polarities on absorption and fluorescence spectra and dipole moment of laser dye: 7-diethylamino-3-thenoylcoumarin (DETC) has been investigated. A small band shift is obtained in the absorption spectra compared to emission spectra. The spectral shifts were correlated with Catalan's parameters using linear solvation energy relationship. It reveals that non-specific interaction measured by solvent polarity has more influence on absorption and solvent dipolarity contribution is significant in case of fluorescence. A bathochromic shift observed in absorption and emission spectra with increasing solvent polarity, which implied that the transition involved is π→π(∗). The solvatochromic correlations were used to estimate the excited state dipole moment using experimentally determined ground state dipole moment. The observed single-state excited state dipole moment is found to be greater than the ground state.

Determination of ground and excited state dipole moments of dipolar laser dyes by solvatochromic shift method

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of three medium sized dipolar laser dyes: coumarin 478 (C478), coumarin 519 (C519) and coumarin 523 (C523) have been recorded and studied comprehensively in various solvents at room temperature. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of C478, C519 and C523 show a bathochromic and hypsochromic shifts with increasing solvent polarity indicate that the transitions involved are π→π(∗) and n→π(∗). Onsager radii determined from ab initio calculations were used in the determination of dipole moments. The ground and excited state dipole moments were evaluated by using solvatochromic correlations. It is observed that the dipole moment values of excited states (μe) are higher than corresponding ground state values (μg) for the solvents studied. The ground and excited state dipole moments of these probes computed from ab initio calculations and those determined experimentally are compared and the results are discussed.

Effect of solvents on the spectroscopic properties of LD-489 & LD-473: estimation of ground and excited state dipole moments by solvatochromic shift method

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-6,8,9-trimethyl-4-(trifluoro methyl)-2H-pyrano[2,3-b][1,8]naphthyridin-2-one (LD-489) and 1,2,3,8-tetrahydro-1,2,3,3,8-pentamethyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-7H-pyrrolo[3,2-g]quinolin-7-one (LD-473) have been recorded at room temperature in different solvents and 1,4-dioxane-acetonitrile solvent mixtures. The UV-Visible absorption spectra are less sensitive to solvent polarity than the corresponding fluorescence spectra in both the dyes which show pronounced solvatochromic effect. The effects of solvents upon the spectral properties are analyzed using Lippert-Mataga polarity function, Richardts microscopic solvent polarity parameter and Catalán's multiple linear regression approach. Both general solute-solvent interactions and specific interactions are operative in these systems. The solvatochromic correlations are used to estimate excited state dipole moments using experimentally determined ground state dipole moments. The excited state dipole moment for both the dyes are found to be larger than their corresponding ground state dipole moment and is interpreted based on their resonance structures.