Transmission characterization of spider silk-based core-shell optical fibers

Spider silks are expected to become biocompatible and bioresorbable optical fibers, which can be utilized to transfer localized optical energy for various biomedical applications such as optical therapy and optical imaging inside living tissue. In this study, the optical properties of eco-friendly native spider silk as an efficient optical fiber have been demonstrated experimentally. The metal shells on the surface of silk fibers are fabricated by using glancing angle deposition technique. Lightwaves with broadband wavelengths are coupled into the silk fibers by direct incorporation of conventional optical fibers. The measurement results show the transmission loss of approximately 2 dB/cm. The optical performances of silk-based core-shell fiber combine with the biocompatibility, bioresorbability, flexibility, and tensile strength. The silk-based core-shell fibers are capable of delivering optical power through biological tissue for biophotonic purposes.