Self-assembled structures and devices

Abstract:

A tetrahedral nanostructure whose edges are DNA double helices self-assembles spontaneously when four appropriately designed oligonucleotides are annealed together in solution; the ease of synthesis, rigidity, and adaptability of this construct make it a promising candidate as a cage for other large molecules and as a building block for more complicated nanostructures.

Abstract:

We explore the analytical design of high-symmetry photonic crystals made by holographic lithography. We show how holographic lithography may be used to produce diamond-like photonic crystals that have a full, three-dimensional photonic band gap at a refractive index contrast equal to the lowest yet published. © 2003 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

We demonstrate that silica-acrylate materials doped with transition metal (Zr, Ti) oxide nanoparticles are suitable for the three-dimensional holographic lithography of photonic crystals with submicron periodicity and large inorganic contents. By careful choice of inorganic components, such composites could provide a route to the template-free, direct lithography of three-dimensionally ordered structures with high refractive-index contrast, submicron periodicity, and band gaps in the visible and infrared regions.