title: Polymeric, electrically tunable diffraction grating based on artificial muscles.
abstract: We demonstrate a low-cost, electrically tunable diffraction grating that is driven by a dielectric elastomer actuator. The angular tuning range of the polymer-based device is up to 118 mrad for the first diffracted order. The achievable grating period change of 32% is an improvement by more than a factor of 150 compared with existing analog tunable diffraction gratings based on hard materials. We show that in combination with a white light source, the presented diffraction grating can be used as a wavelength-adjustable luminous source. Such an illuminant has a potential application in inexpensive color displays that could reproduce all perceivable colors.
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology Group, ETH Zurich, Tannenstrasse 3, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aschwanden
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stemmer
mesh_terms: D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D020724:Elastomers; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers