Mechanophotonics: Pseudo-plastic Organic Crystal as a Fermat Spiral Optical Waveguide

An unprecedented organic Fermat spiral optical waveguide (FSOW) self transducing green fluorescence is fabricated using a pseudo-plastic (E)-1-(((5-bromopyridin-2-yl)imino)methyl)naphthalene-2-ol crystal. A 1.618-millimeter-long crystal is initially bent into a hairpin-like bent waveguide. Later, a meticulous mechanophotonic strategy is employed to sculpt the hairpin-like bent waveguide into the Fermat spiral geometry, covering a compact area of 330x238 um2. The optical signal in FSOW survives two sharp 180-degree turns to produce optical output. The remarkably low bending-induced optical loss in FSOW can be ascribed to the smooth-defect-free surface morphology of the crystal. The development of such versatile optical components capable of transducing light through sharp bends is pivotal for realizing large-scale all-organic photonic circuits.