Topological Encoded Vector Beams for Monitoring Amyloid‐Lipid Interactions in Microcavity

Abstract

Lasers are the pillars of modern photonics and sensing. Recent advances in microlasers have demonstrated its extraordinary lasing characteristics suitable for biosensing. However, most lasers utilized lasing spectrum as a detection signal, which can hardly detect or characterize nanoscale structural changes in microcavity. Here the concept of amplified structured light‐molecule interactions is introduced to monitor tiny bio‐structural changes in a microcavity. Biomimetic liquid crystal droplets with self‐assembled lipid monolayers are sandwiched in a Fabry–Pérot cavity, where subtle protein‐lipid membrane interactions trigger the topological transformation of output vector beams. By exploiting Amyloid β (Aβ)‐lipid membrane interactions as a proof‐of‐concept, it is demonstrated that vector laser beams can be viewed as a topology of complex laser modes and polarization states. The concept of topological‐encoded laser barcodes is therefore developed to reveal dynamic changes of laser modes and Aβ‐lipid interactions with different Aβ assembly structures. The findings demonstrate that the topology of vector beams represents significant features of intracavity nano‐structural dynamics resulted from structured light‐molecule interactions.

Multifunctional Laser Imaging of Cancer Cell Secretion with Hybrid Liquid Crystal Resonators

“…Third, the nanojet effect strongly confines the light beam to a smaller size and reduces the number of transverse modes. [34] When the laser pump is applied, only the fundamental Laguerre-Gaussian mode can be observed, i.e., bright colored lasing emissions in Figure 2a. Laser emission with different emitting wavelengths can be simply achieved by doping LC droplets with different dyes.…”

Optically Transportable Optofluidic Microlasers with Liquid Crystal Cavities Tuned by the Electric Field

“…With a suitable choice of the constituent LC molecules, host liquid, and droplet-stabilizing surfactant, LC emulsions can be prepared in a number of phases ranging from nematic through smectic to cholesteric, with various boundary conditions imposed at the droplet surface. − Slight adjustments of these boundary conditions can then trigger a rearrangement of the director field within the droplet accompanied by corresponding changes of the refractive index. Due to this property, emulsion LC droplets have become attractive candidates for implementing ultra-sensitive environmental sensors , and optofluidic laser microcavities with largely tunable emission spectra. , …”

“…17−19 Slight adjustments of these boundary conditions can then trigger a rearrangement of the director field within the droplet accompanied by corresponding changes of the refractive index. Due to this property, emulsion LC droplets have become attractive candidates for implementing ultra-sensitive environmental sensors 20,21 and optofluidic laser microcavities with largely tunable emission spectra. 22,23 First demonstration of active, tunable WGM microcavities based on dye-doped LC droplets was presented by Humar et al, who immobilized nematic LC microdroplets in a solid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer matrix and investigated their reversible spectral tuning by an applied AC electric field upon optical pumping.…”

Enzyme‐Programmable Microgel Lasers for Information Encoding and Anti‐Counterfeiting

“…Meanwhile, laser emission may offer an opportunity to surpass conventional physical dimensions, including wavelength and polarization. [29][30][31][32][33] For instance, multi-vortex laser beams can create an unlimited number of orbital angular momentum quantum states in principle, which can be used as powerful tools for optical encoding.…”