Electrowetting manipulation of any optical film

Electrowetting manipulation of any optical film is reported. A square channel was constructed with four sidewall electrodes, coated with a hydrophobic dielectric, and filled with saline and oil. In a first experiment a dielectric mirror film was suspended between the oil/saline meniscus. Electrowetting at each sidewall produced a saline contact angle change of 35 degrees < 170 degrees. This change in contact angle tilted the mirror and +/- 105 degrees of laser beam deflection was achieved. A second experiment utilized a Mylar film imprinted with a diffraction grating (625 lines/mm). Electrowetting tilting of the grating was shown to alter the diffraction of the laser beam.(c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.