Dynamic Lens Devices from Complex Colloids

Embodiments described herein may be useful for optofluidic devices. For example, optofluidic devices using dynamic fluid lens materials represent an ideal platform to create versatile, reconfigurable, refractive optical components. For example, the articles described herein may be useful as fluidic tunable compound micro-lenses. Such compound micro-lenses may be composed of two or more components (e.g., two or more inner phases) that form stable bi-phase emulsion droplets in outer phases (e.g., aqueous media). Advantageously, the refractive index contrast at each material interface and/or the curvature of each interface may contribute to the focusing power of a refractive optical element, allowing for a wide tuning range of the emulsion lenses’ focal length, and thereby enabling switching between converging or diverging lens geometries. Advantageously, the radius of curvature between two or more components and/or the average focal length of transmitted or reflected light through the droplets may be controlled by exposing the plurality of droplets to a stimulus.