Electro-optical properties of dielectric liquid microlens

We report the electro-optical properties of dielectric liquid droplets based on dielectrophoretic effect. Due to dielectric force, the surface of each droplet can be reshaped which in turn alters its focusing behaviors. Our experimental results show that a deformed droplet can recover to its original shape with a negligible hysteresis. Both amplitude and frequency of the applied voltage play important roles affecting the droplet's shape change. The rise time is mainly governed by the applied voltage: for a given frequency a higher voltage results in a faster rise time. On the other hand, the decay time is jointly determined by the interfacial surface tensions, droplet size, and viscosity of the employed liquids. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.