Multiphasic nanostructures composites bulks

Multiphasic Nanostructured Composites Bulks. A novel approach to produce multifunctional polymeric composites is to use a multiphase system with the phase separation at the nanometer scale. Since the domain sizes are much smaller than the wavelength of light, they do not scatter. The result is an optically transparent sample in which each domain may produce a different optical function. 

Multifunctional materials will play an important role in the development of Photonics Technology. This paper describes novel multifunctional polymeric composites for applications in both active and passive photonic components. On the molecular level, we have introduced multifunctionality by design and synthesis of chromophores which by themselves exhibit more than one functionality. At the bulk level, we have introduced the concept of a multiphasic nanostructured composites where phase separation is controlled in the nanometer range to produce optically transparent bulk in which each domain produces a specific photonic function. Results are presented from the studies of up-converted two-photon lasing, two-photon confocal microscopy, optical power limiting, photorefractivity and optical channel waveguides to illustrate the application of the multifunctional optical composites. 

The concept of a multiphase nanostructured composite can be used to prepare a wide variety of optical materials. We have been able to dope two (or more) different optically responsive materials, each of which can be in different phases of the matrix ( e silica phase, the PMMA phase and the interfacial phase), to make multifimctional bulk materials for photonics. For example, we have doped in addition to the fiillerene, which is adsorbed in the interfacial phase, a fluorescent and optically nonlinear chromophore bisbenzothiazole 3,4-didecyloxy thiophene (BBTODT) in the PMMA phase. This nonlinear chromophore was developed by B. Reinhardt and co-workers at the Polymer Branch of U.S. Air Force Wright Laboratory 14). 

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