Polymer science and technology for new generation photonics and biophotonics

Polymeric materials hold considerable promise for photonics, the science and technology utilizing photons. They are also finding applications for nanophotonics, created by fusion of photonics and nanotechnology, and for biophotonics, an emerging field that utilizes light for optical diagnostics as well as for light-guided and activated therapy. This article presents selected examples of applications of polymeric media for nanophotonics and biophotonics. Merits of polymeric nanocomposites containing many nanosize constituents for manipulation of optical properties and introduction of multifunctionalities are described. Nanocomposites containing inorganic quantum dots dispersed in a polymer matrix exhibit increased photogeneration efficiency, broad spectrally tunable photoresponse, and enhanced carrier mobility, which are useful for many optoelectronic applications such as in broad band solar cells and photorefractivity. Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals containing quantum dots exhibit significantly large photorefractive figure of merits. Polymeric nanoparticles, in the form of nanoclinics, for photodynamic therapy is provided as an example of biophotonics applications.