GOALI: Photodegredation of Electro-Optic Polymers

9522019 Stegeman聚合物光电子学在过去五年中经历了快速发展，并在光子学应用中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造成了严重的长期问题。 在原型分子DANS中，在光谱的近红外和通信区域中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和中央佛罗里达大学CREOL的乔治斯蒂格曼组成的大学-工业合作研究小组将根据GOALI计划调查这些问题。 通过共享设施和专业知识，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以及最大限度地减少其在通信波段影响的新方法。 加速光学测试将在典型器械工作功率下模拟多年的器械性能。 光降解导致分子结构和光学性质的变化。 这些变化将在已知的分子如DR 1和DANS中进行测量和关联。 机制，如反式-顺式异构化，和氧化和断裂键入射光子将被量化。 线性和多光子触发事件将被研究。 将设计、合成和评估旨在减少光降解效应的新分子。 例如，要研究相对于通信频带战略性地放置的具有窄得多（比DANS或DR 1）的吸收光谱的分子。 ***

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. ***