Liquid mirror

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a liquid mirror including:

a liquid that forms an interface with a fluid adjacent to said liquid; and

a layer of reflective particles located at said interface, wherein said layer forms a reflective surface wherein each of said reflective particles includes a first side having one of a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface and a second side having the other of said hydrophilic or said hydrophobic surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said reflective surface is a continuous reflective surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said liquid is immiscible in said fluid and said liquid is one of a polar or non-polar liquid and said fluid is the other of said polar or non-polar liquid or gas.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a liquid mirror including:

a liquid that forms an interface with a fluid adjacent to said liquid; and

a layer of reflective particles located at said interface, wherein said layer forms a reflective surface wherein each of said reflective particles includes:

a first reflective side having a hydrophobic surface, wherein said first reflective side faces said liquid that comprises a non-polar liquid or a gas; and

a second side having a hydrophilic surface wherein said second side faces said fluid that comprises a polar liquid.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a liquid mirror including:

a liquid that forms an interface with a fluid adjacent to said liquid; and

a layer of reflective particles located at said interface, wherein said layer forms a reflective surface wherein each of said reflective particles include:

a first reflective side having a hydrophilic surface, wherein said first reflective side faces said liquid that comprises a polar liquid; and

a second side having a hydrophobic surface wherein said second side faces said fluid that comprises a non-polar liquid or a gas.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a liquid mirror including:

a liquid that forms an interface with a fluid adjacent to said liquid; and

a layer of reflective particles located at said interface, wherein said layer forms a reflective surface wherein said reflective particles include:

a first side covered with a reflective coating, wherein one of hydrophobic molecules or hydrophilic molecules are bonded to said reflective coating; and

a second side not covered with said reflective coating.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a liquid mirror including:

a liquid that forms an interface with a fluid adjacent to said liquid; and

a layer of reflective particles located at said interface, wherein said layer forms a reflective surface wherein each of said reflective particles are colloidal particles having a size ranging from about 100 nanometers to 100 microns and a thickness ranging from about 10nanometers to 1 micron and each of said reflective particles having a hexagonal shape.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a liquid mirror including:

a liquid that forms an interface with a fluid adjacent to said liquid; and

a layer of reflective particles located at said interface, wherein said layer forms a reflective surface;

an insulating layer on a substrate; and

a plurality of electrodes insulated from said liquid by said insulating layer, wherein

said substrate comprises a biasing electrode that is in contact with said liquid;

said liquid is electrically conductive and is disposed over a surface of said insulating layer, and

said plurality of electrodes are configured to adjust a lateral position or a contact angle of said liquid relative to said surface when a voltage is applied between said biasing electrode and one or more of said electrodes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8

wherein said liquid mirror is configured as a tunable liquid mirror.

10. The apparatus of claim 8

wherein said apparatus is configured as an optoelectronic device further including:

a transmitter, said transmitter providing an optical signal; and

a receiver, said receiver receiving said optical signal; and wherein said liquid mirror is configured to direct said optical signal from said transmitter to said receiver.

11. A method, comprising:

transmitting an optical signal using a liquid mirror, including:

reflecting said optical signal off of a reflective surface of said liquid mirror, said reflective surface including reflective particles located at an interface between a liquid of said liquid mirror and a fluid adjacent said liquid, wherein said liquid is configured as a droplet, thereby configuring said reflective surface as a concave interior reflective surface of said droplet.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said liquid is transparent and said optical signal travels through said liquid to said reflective surface.

13. A method, comprising:

manufacturing a liquid mirror including:

forming a layer of reflective particles at an interface between a liquid and a fluid, wherein one side of said reflective particles has a hydrophilic surface and an opposite side of said reflective particles has a hydrophobic surface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming said layer of reflective particles comprises adding said reflective particles to said liquid to form a colloidal suspension and locating said fluid over said liquid.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming said layer of reflective particles comprises adding said reflective particles to said fluid to form a colloidal suspension and locating said fluid over said liquid.

16. The method of claim 13 , further including forming said reflective particles, including:

providing a substrate having a silicon layer on a silicon oxide layer;

patterning said silicon layer to form isolated regions;

partially removing portions of said silicon oxide layer located between said isolated regions;

forming a reflective coating on one side of said isolated regions;

releasing said isolated regions from said substrate; and

attaching one of hydrophobic molecules or hydrophilic molecules to said reflective coating.