Paper
12 July 1996 Nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric thin film materials of potential for microgravity processing studies
Hossin Ahmed Abdeldayem, Donald O. Frazier, Mark Steven Paley, Benjamin G. Penn, William K. Witherow, Curtis E. Banks, Angela Shields, Rosline Hicks, Paul R. Ashley
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
In this paper, we will take a closer look at the state of the art of polydiacetylene, and metal-free phthalocyanine films, in view of the microgravity impact on their optical properties, their nonlinear optical properties and their potential advantages for integrated optics. These materials have many attractive features with regard to their use in integrated optical circuits and optical switching. Thin films of these materials processed in microgravity environment show enhanced optical quality and better molecular alignment than those processed in unit gravity. Our studies of these materials indicate that microgravity can play a major role in integrated optics technology. Polydiacetylene films are produced by UV irradiation of monomer solution through an optical window. This novel technique of forming polydiacetylene thin films has been modified for constructing sophisticated micro-structure integrated optical patterns using a pre-programmed UV-laser beam. Wave guiding through these thin films by the prism coupler technique has been demonstrated. The third order nonlinear parameters of these films have been evaluated. Metal-free phthalocyanine films of good optical quality are processed in our laboratories by vapor deposition technique. Initial studies on these films indicate that they have excellent chemical, laser, and environmental stability. They have large nonlinear optical parameters and show intrinsic optical bistability. This bistability is essential for optical logic gates and optical switching applications. Waveguiding and device making investigations of these materials are underway.
© (1996) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hossin Ahmed Abdeldayem, Donald O. Frazier, Mark Steven Paley, Benjamin G. Penn, William K. Witherow, Curtis E. Banks, Angela Shields, Rosline Hicks, and Paul R. Ashley "Nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric thin film materials of potential for microgravity processing studies", Proc. SPIE 2809, Space Processing of Materials, (12 July 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.244321
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KEYWORDS
Absorption

Thin films

Helium neon lasers

Polymer thin films

Bistability

Integrated optics

Scattering

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