Tunable waveguide Bragg gratings were demonstrated in PYR-3 chromophore doped polymers. We report on the fabrication and the performance of the device. Polycarbonate thin films were doped with PYR-3 (2-{3- Cyano-4- [3-(1-decyl-1 H-pyridin-4-ylidene)-propenyl]-5,5-dimethyi-5 H-furan-2-ylidene}-malononitrile) chromophore, consisting of a dihydropyridinylidene donor and three carbon atoms in the conjugated linker between donor and acceptor. Ridge waveguides were laser micro-machined into the polycarbonate film with a JPSA micromachining system equipped with a KrF excimer laser at 248 nm. Bragg gratings were inscribed into the waveguide by permanently photobleaching the PYR-3 chromophores using a phase mask to achieve narrowband reflections at wavelengths around 1550 nm. Electro-optic properties were introduced by contact poling. Applying a static external electric field leads to the shift of the reflection peak.
A series of dipolar and quadrupolar two-photon absorption (2PA) photoinitiators (PIs) based around the well-known triphenylamine (TPA) core and tricyanofuran (TCF) acceptors have been prepared for use in two-photon polymerisation (TPP). The synthesised dipolar species are designated as 5 and 7, and the remaining quadrupolar species are 6, 8, 9 and 10. Large two-photon absorption cross-sections (δ2PA) ranging between 333 - 507 GM were measured at 780 nm using the z-scan technique. Fluorescence quantum yields (ΦF) were below 3% across the series when compared to Rhodamine 6G as a reference standard. Finally, TPP tests were conducted on PIs 7 and 8 to assess their ability to initiate the polymerisation of acrylate monomers using an 800 nm femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser system.
Here we report the synthesis and physical characterization of four substituted phenylenevinylene molecules, 1-4, which serve as short chain model oligomers of poly(1,4-phenylenevinylene). Quantum mechanical calculations on alkoxy substituted stilbene derivatives 1 and 2 reveal a direct correlation between the torsional angles and the substituent pattern. HOMO and LUMO energy levels were calculated for all four compounds and showed that the introduction of alkoxy substituents reduce the energy gaps between the ground and first excited singlet states of these molecules. In addition, absorption spectra, fluorescence life-times and quantum yield data of the four compounds are presented.
Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of a series of centro-symmetric D-π-A-π-D chromophores based on an s-indacene-1,3,5,7(2H,6H)-tetraone acceptor with conjugated linkers containing thiophene and pyrrole moieties. These materials were studied by UV visible absorption spectroscopy and their third order nonlinear optical properties investigated by z-scan at 1064 nm. The introduction of conjugated pyrrole linkers was found to give an effective third order hyperpolarizability of -1.54 x10-30 esu, and an effective two photon absorption cross section of 6100 GM at 1064 nm. As these chromophores showed comparatively high effective nonlinear absorption they have potential in photonic applications such as optical limiting, optical communication, and for two photon initiated polymerization.
We have characterised a strain and temperature sensing system being developed by Southern Photonics that uses a new
Optical Interrogator and fibre Bragg gratings. We have determined the key strain and temperature coefficients, and
shown that strain and temperature can be measured simultaneously. The experimental uncertainty is 5.2 pm when using
the 1540 nm fibre Bragg grating, which corresponds to an experimental uncertainty in measuring the temperature of 0.54
ºC and in measuring the strain of 3.4 με. Simulations predict that a Bragg reflection of more than 90% can be achieved
for Bragg Gratings in polymer thin films containing chromophores for grating lengths as small as 200 μm. A small Bragg
grating length means that it should be possible to create waveguides and four Bragg gratings for strain tensor and
temperature measurements within an area as small as 5×5 mm2.
Photoluminescence (PL) and absorption measurements have been made on CdSe1-xSx nanoparticles with x=0.69 to x=1
using a process that should lead a graded sulfur fraction where the sulfur fraction is lowest in the core. There is a
systematic increase in the 1S3/2→1Se transition energy and the 1Se→1S3/2 PL emission energy that can be attributed to an
increasing sulfur concentration. The quantum yield is ~30% for 0.69≤x≤0.83. It decreases to 0.7% for higher values as x
approaches 1. The higher quantum yields for x≤0.83 may be due to the graded sulfur concentration that leads to a
thermal barrier that reduces non-radiative recombination at the surface. Temperature dependent PL measurements on a
x=0.83 sample are consistent with two PL lifetimes where the longer one (~30 ns) is nearly temperature independent and
could arise from a fraction of the nanoparticles having a lower concentration of non-radiative recombination sites. The
shorter component can be accounted for by thermal activation to surface non-radiative recombination sites with an
activation energy of 9.6 meV.
Optical and photostability measurements have been made on nonlinear optical films containing amorphous
polycarbonate and an organic chromophore that has a high 2nd order nonlinear optical figure of merit. We show that the
decrease in the photodegradation quantum efficiency with increasing optical intensity can be modelled in terms of
oxygen depletion by oxygen-mediated chomophore photodegradation. The addition of a known singlet oxygen quencher,
beta carotene, leads to a 1100% decrease in the photodegradation quantum efficiency.
Photostability measurements have been made on host-guest films containing amorphous polycarbonate and an
organic chromophore with a high 2nd order nonlinear optical figure of merit. We find that the rate of photodegradation
strongly depends on the oxygen partial pressure. At very low oxygen partial pressures (1.4×10-5 bar) the average number
of photons required to photodegrade a chromophore is as high as 1×109 at 655 nm. Encapsulation leads to an initial rapid
decrease in the photodegradation rate due to the trapped oxygen and a gradual photodegradation where 2×109 photons
are required to photodegrade a chromophore. There is an anomalous increase and then decrease in the
photoluminescence intensity during ultraviolet irradiation.
The photostabilities of a series of nonlinear optical (NLO) polyimides containing two different chromophores were
measured at 655 nm where the spectral response is dominated by separated chromophores rather than J-aggregation. We
investigated the effect of ring-locking of the chromophore conjugated backbone, variations in the chromophore number
density and the incorporation of an anti-oxidant. We found that none of these modifications altered the initial
photodegradation at 655 nm.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.