Optical waveguide self-assembled from organic dye molecules in solution

Fiber-shaped H-aggregates with lengths of up to 300 mu m are synthesized by self-assembly of thiacyanine (TC) dye molecules in solution. Photoluminescence (PL) images and spatially resolved PL spectra of the fibers that are transferred onto a glass substrate reveal that the fibers act as single-mode optical waveguides that propagate PL in the range of 520 to 560 mu m over 250 urn without any loss.