Safety Eye Protection through Use of Fast Acting Optical Switching.
Abstract
Due to the increasing use of lasers in military applications, along with their high power levels and short pulse times, there is a critical need for fast acting optical switches to protect the vision of personnel. Such devices must be economical, suitable for use either in optical components (eg. binoculars and windshields) or in eye glasses or goggles, be responsive to laser energies from the UV to the near IR, and not impair the performance of the personnel in their mission. At present there are no materials/systems which fulfill these requirements. As a first step in developing new materials and materials related devices which are capable of switching from optical densities of less than 1 to greater than about 5 in times of a microsecond or less a critical review was undertaken. The main findings of this study are that there are four materials types which have potential for improved fast acting optical switches: (1) ferroelectric liquid crystals; (2) organometallic films containing charge transfer complexes, which undergo field-induced redox reaction, (3) inorganic electrochromic films which undergo insulator-semiconductor or insulator-metal transitions due to short range diffusion; and (4) inhomogeneous media in which the inhomegeneity is on the order to the wavelength of visible light.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA138582
Entities
People
- R. Messier
- Robert E. Newnham
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University