Hierarchically Structured Optical Materials Hexagonal silica/EO 20 -PO 70 -EO 20 with 1% Rhodamine 6G modulation of photophysical properties molecular alignment, anisotropy dynamic responses 2  m Low-loss waveguides

n silicon 3.5 mesoporous SiO waveguides 1.43 Refractive Index Control Waveguiding and Amplification P. Yang et al., Science, 287, 465 (2000) P. Yang et al., Science, 282, 2244 (1998) above threshold 0.8 kWcm kWcm -2

N NO 2 O N O N N O N N NO 2 O + h 1 or heat h 1 or heat h 2 exposure (365 nm) after ~2 sec after 15 min as-synthesized PhotochromismDynamic Response Dynamic Optical Responses in Mesostructured Materials G. Wirnsberger et al., Chem. Comm., 119 (2001) G. Wirnsberger et al., Adv. Mater. 12, 1450 (2000)

Silicatein Nature’s Structure-Directing Catalyst Polymerizes Silica, Methyl- and Phenyl-silsesquioxanes