Supercontinuum Generation in Naturally Occurring Glass Sponges Spicules

Ehrlich H, Maldonado M, Parker AR, Kulchin YN, Schilling J, Koehler B, Skrzypczak U, Simon P, Reiswig HM, Tsurkan MV, Brunner E, Voznesenskiy SS, Bezverbny AV, Golik SS, Nagorny IG, Vyalikh DV, Makarova AA, Molodtsov SL, Kummer K, Mertig M, Erler C, Kurek DV, Bazhenov VV, Natalio F, Kovalev AE, Gorb SN, Stelling AL, Heitmann J, Born R, Meyer DC, Tabachnick KR (2016)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Journal

Book Volume: 4

Pages Range: 1608-1613

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1002/adom.201600454

Abstract

The complex process of supercontinuum generation (SG) is known to be exploitable for designing spatially coherent white light sources emitting light simultaneously in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared ranges. Herein the first natural material able to generate in laboratory conditions a supercontinuum similar to those known from man-made photonic crystal fibers is described. The ability resides in siliceous 20–50 cm long spicules of the glass sponge Sericolophus hawaiicus. By shedding into the spicules optical peak intensities ranging from 1 to 100 TW cm⁻² the generation of a SG is revealed. The SG involves wavelengths between 650 and 900 nm and shows a maximum spectral spread for excitation at a wavelength of 750 nm. It is hypothesized that the SG is favored by spicules being a biocomposite that incorporates together isotopically pure biogenic silica (δ³⁰Si = −3.28) and 15.2 ± 1.3 μg N-acetyl-glucosamine (chitin) per mg of silica. The internal organization of these spicules is distinguished by a solid silica core with a 1 μm wide axial channel as well as a highly ordered silica–chitin composite. Such a composition and organization pattern may be of potential interest for the design of low temperature synthesis of future materials for light guidance.

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg Germany (DE) Russian Academy of Sciences / Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (RAS) Russian Federation (RU) Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids Germany (DE) Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e. V. Germany (DE) Spanish National Research Council / Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Spain (ES) Natural History Museum London United Kingdom (GB) University of Victoria (UVic) Canada (CA) Technische Universität Dresden Germany (DE) European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) France (FR) Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Germany (DE) Duke University United States (USA) (US) EKF-diagnostic GmbH Germany (DE) INTIB Internationales Institut für Biomineralogie GmbH Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Ehrlich, H., Maldonado, M., Parker, A.R., Kulchin, Y.N., Schilling, J., Koehler, B.,... Tabachnick, K.R. (2016). Supercontinuum Generation in Naturally Occurring Glass Sponges Spicules. Advanced Optical Materials, 4(10), 1608-1613. https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.201600454

MLA:

Ehrlich, Hermann, et al. "Supercontinuum Generation in Naturally Occurring Glass Sponges Spicules." Advanced Optical Materials 4.10 (2016): 1608-1613.

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