Wavelength-converted wave-guiding in dye-doped polymer nanofibers

Nanoscale wavelength-converted optical components are promising components for communication and optical information processing in integrated photonic system. In this work, we report a facile strategy for realizing continuously tunable wavelength-converted wave-guiding in dye-doped nanofibers. The nanofibers with diameters of 200–800 nm have an absorption coefficient of about 80 cm(−1) and a self-absorption coefficient of about 30 cm(−1), and exhibit relatively high PL efficiency and high photobleaching resistance under an optical pump. By launching the pump light into the nanofibers, the excited light in the nanofibers got self-absorption and reemitted at a longer wavelength, resulting in a gradual wavelength conversion during propagation. On the basis of this wavelength-converted wave-guiding, nanoscale wavelength-converted splitters were demonstrated by assembling the nanofibers into crossed structures. We believe that the dye-doped nanofibers would bring new exciting opportunities in developing new wavelength-converted optical components for nanophotonic device integration.