The Implementation of Functionalized Silk as an Useful Biocompatible Material for Photonic Applications

Organic semiconductor lasers are a field of interest in organic photonics and this is partially due to the ability of conjugated small-molecules and polymers to demonstrate efficient optically pumped lasing in the solid state. In addition, the compatibility of organics with natural biomaterials makes organic photonics suitable to develop biocompatible and biodegradable devices [1]. Silk is a natural protein fiber that has recently emerged as a highly promising candidate for realizing biocompatible photonic components. In particular, silk can offer a seamless interface between the optical and biological worlds. Indeed, silk has excellent mechanical properties, it shows high transparency and surface flatness, it is biodegradable and easily implantable [2] . Stilbene is a well-known dye with high optical emission Quantum Yield (QY) and low threshold for gain narrowing, which is also ideally compatible for blending with silk due to its water solubility. We used this blend to build a Distributed FeedBack (DFB) laser.