Development of Multifunctional Ultra-Nonlinear Liquids and Liquid Crystals for Sensor Protection Applications
Abstract
A multi-prong program of study has been conducted that encompassed nonlinear optical material synthesis, quantitative characterization, design and proof of concept demonstration of practical devices for eye/sensor protection against agile frequency lasers in the entire visible spectrum. Significant breakthroughs have been achieved in developing supra-nonlinear liquid crystalline films that possess extraordinarily large photorefractive responses, low switching thresholds and useful properties not available in other existing photorefractive materials. A class of multifunctional nonlinear organic liquids that are optically transparent in the entire visible spectrum for low level light, but possess large and very broadband multi-photon absorption and excited-state-absorption coefficients has been developed. These properties enable the construction of image transmission fiber arrays that could function as optical limiters against visible picoseconds - nanoseconds lasers with low operation power threshold and large dynamic operation range. Paralleling these material and devices studies, complete quantitative models for the molecular photonics, nonlinear laser propagation and device operational principles have been developed. The models accounted for all the nonlinear multi-photon absorption processes, as well as nonlinear scattering and concomitant thermal/density effects that are useful for longer time scales limiting applications, and enable identification of the optimal material composition and design of high performance all-optical devices.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA480562
Entities
People
- I. C. Khoo
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University