Hierarchically Structured Optical Materials

Hexagonal silica/EO20-PO70-EO20

with 1% Rhodamine 6G

•modulation of photophysical properties

•molecular alignment, anisotropy

•dynamic responses

2 m

Low-loss waveguides

n

silicon 3.5mesoporous SiO2 1.15waveguides 1.43

Refractive Index Control Waveguiding and Amplification

P. Yang et al., Science, 287, 465 (2000)

P. Yang et al., Science, 282, 2244 (1998)

above threshold

0.8 kWcm-2

10 kWcm-2

N NO2O

N O

N

N

O

N

N NO2

O

+

h1or heat

h1or heat

h2

h2

exposure (365 nm)

after ~2 sec after 15 min

as-synthesized

Photochromism Dynamic Response

Dynamic Optical Responses in Mesostructured MaterialsG. Wirnsberger et al., Chem. Comm., 119 (2001) G. Wirnsberger et al., Adv. Mater. 12, 1450 (2000)

Silicatein

Nature’s Structure-Directing Catalyst

Polymerizes Silica, Methyl- and Phenyl-silsesquioxanes