An optofluidic prism with large deviation angle by two flow streams

This paper reports an optofluidic tunable prism which is realized with two laminar flows in a microfluidic chip. By controlling the flow rate ratio between the two flows, the apex angle of the prism can be tuned continuously and therefore the deviation angle can be changed accordingly. A model for the hydrodynamic control is established for the prism. The optical deviation caused by the prism is theoretically analyzed and experimentally proved. The optofluidic prism can be used for building up the on-chip optical circuits and promising for the optical detection and biochemical analysis.