Enhancing Optical Transmission of Multilayer Composites with Interfacial Nanostructures
Abstract
The technical objective of the proposed effort is to investigate the processing of a new class of multilayer ceramic-polymer composites with interfacial nanostructures. The proposed effort seeks to combine advanced lithography and nanofabrication processes achieve unprecedented control over the interfacial geometry in layered materials and achieve the stated technical objective. This proposed research will endeavor to develop fabrication processes to precisely control interfacial nanostructures at ceramic-polymer interlayers and demonstrate stacking and assembly process. More specifically, the work will attempt to control local light propagation and the suppression of Fresnel reflection at individual interfaces to demonstrate transparent composite materials with wide-angle and broadband transmission, haze, and clarity. The proposed research effort will systematically control interfacial nanostructures and their interactions with light in multilayer composites, and is organized into three primary research tasks: to construct optical models, to develop fabrication and assembly processes, and to characterize the optical properties of a multilayer prototype. The interfacial optical transmission and reflection will be simulated using rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), where the 3D interfacial structure will be approximated into discrete planar slices, and the coupled-wave equations will be solved by matching the boundary conditions. The assembly process will combine fabrication of single-layer nanostructures on ceramic substrates and stacking and assembly of the ceramic layers using curable polymer to construct multilayer composite to allow the precise control of nanostructure geometry at each ceramic-polymer interface. Characterization of the broadband reflectance and transmittance will incorporate UV-visible-NIR spectrometry from visible to infrared, and the intensity oscillation in the efficiency measurements will allow quantitative analysis of interfacial reflection and interference effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1610314
Entities
People
- Chih-Hao Chang
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- North Carolina State University
- United States Army