GOALI: Photodegredation of Electro-Optic Polymers

聚合物光电子技术在过去五年中发展迅速，在光子学应用方面显示出相当大的前景。然而，最近的论文表明，电光聚合物的累积光降解是一个严重的长期问题。在原型分子DANS光谱的近红外和通信区域测量了折射率和波导损耗的大变化。一个由ROITECH的Alex Jen、加州理工学院的Seth Marder和中佛罗里达大学CREOL的George Stegeman组成的校企合作研究小组将在GOALI项目下调查这些问题。通过共享设备和专业知识，该团队将使用光学和分析化学技术来研究光降解的主要机制和最小化其对通信频段影响的新方法。加速光学测试将模拟多年来在典型设备工作功率下的设备性能。光降解导致分子结构和光学性质的变化。这些变化将在DR1和DANS等众所周知的分子中进行测量和关联。机制，如反式顺式异构化，氧化和破坏键的入射光子将被量化。将研究线性和多光子触发事件。将设计、合成和评价旨在降低光降解效应的新分子。例如，与通信波段相对放置的吸收光谱窄得多（比DANS或DR1）的分子将被研究。＊＊＊

9522019 Stegeman Polymer opto-electronics has undergone rapid development in the last five years and has shown considerable promise for photonics applications. However, recent papers have shown that cumulative photodegradation of electro-optic polymers poses a serious long- term problem. Large changes in both the refractive index and waveguide losses have been measured in the near infrared and communications regions of the spectrum in the prototypical molecule DANS. A collaborative university-industry research team consisting of Alex Jen of ROITECH, Seth Marder of Caltech and George Stegeman of CREOL at the University of Central Florida will investigate these issues under a GOALI program. By sharing facilities and expertise, this team will use both optical and analytical chemical techniques to study both the major mechanisms responsible for photodegradation and new approaches to minimizing their effects in the communications bands. Accelerated optical testing will simulate device performance over many years at typical device operating powers. Photodegradation leads to changes in the molecular structure and optical properties. These changes will be measured and correlated in well-known molecules such as DR1 and DANS. Mechanisms such as trans-cis isomerization, and the oxidation and breaking of bonds by incident photons will be quantified. Both linear and multiphoton triggered events will be studied. New molecules designed to reduce photodegradation effects will be designed, synthesized and evaluated. For example, molecules with much narrower (than DANS or DR1) absorption spectra placed strategically relative to the communications bands are to be investigated. ***