Journal article
Light-emitting biological photonic crystals - The bioengineering of metamaterials
Publication Details
Authors: | Kucki, M.; Landwehr, S.; Rühling, H.; Maniak, M.; Fuhrmann-Lieker, T. |
Publication year: | 2006 |
Journal: | Proceedings of SPIE |
Pages range : | 61821S |
Volume number: | 6182 |
ISSN: | 0277-786X |
Abstract
Diatoms can be regarded as self-reproducing photonic crystal slab waveguides due to their silica cell walls that exhibitperiodic pore patterns. The algae thus offer possibilities for biotechnological production of photonic crystals. Twotechniques for incorporating organic laser dyes into the structures are demonstrated. First, Rhodamine B was covalentlyattached to the silica by an aminoalkylsilane linker. Second, highly fluorescent Rhodamine derivatives added to theculture medium were successfully taken up by the diatoms and deposited into the shell. By this techniques, it is possibleto cultivate dye functionalized diatoms with emission behaviour adapted to photonic resonances.
Diatoms can be regarded as self-reproducing photonic crystal slab waveguides due to their silica cell walls that exhibitperiodic pore patterns. The algae thus offer possibilities for biotechnological production of photonic crystals. Twotechniques for incorporating organic laser dyes into the structures are demonstrated. First, Rhodamine B was covalentlyattached to the silica by an aminoalkylsilane linker. Second, highly fluorescent Rhodamine derivatives added to theculture medium were successfully taken up by the diatoms and deposited into the shell. By this techniques, it is possibleto cultivate dye functionalized diatoms with emission behaviour adapted to photonic resonances.
Keywords
biomaterials, diatoms, fluorescent dyes, photonic crystals, silica
