Tunable photonic crystal based on capillary attraction and repulsion.

A tunable photonic crystal (PhC) based on the capillary action of liquid is demonstrated in this work. The porous silicon-based photonic crystal (PSiPhC) features periodic porosity and is fabricated by electrochemical etching on 6" silicon wafer followed by hydrophobic modification on the silicon surface. The capillary action is achieved by varying the mixture ratio of liquids with high and low surface tension, yielding either capillary attraction or capillary repulsion in the nanoscale voids of the PSiPhC. By delivering the liquid mixture into and out of the voids of the PSiPhC, the reflective color of the PSiPhC can be dynamically tuned.