skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Photochromic liquid hydrogels as hosts for holographic materials

Abstract

The goal of this project is to develop, fabricate, and test advanced optical materials for potential applications to real-time holography based on liquid crystalline polymer hydrogels. In this project, the authors are investigating the feasibility of increasing holographic capacity and lifetime by coupling a photochromic spyropyan dye to a liquid crystalline polymer in which cholesteric order has been captured. Capture is being approached using a unique in-plane poling process with the helical polypeptide poly({alpha}-benzyl-L-glutamate), PBLG, a biopolymer which is capable of maintaining cholesteric order in a liquid crystalline state. Subsequent in situ crosslinking of this aligned biopolymer is projected to offer increased birefringence of the host in the writing of a hologram. Given that a key issue is the magnitude of the real component of the refractive index, increasing the birefringence may be a useful approach. In writing the hologram, the liquid crystals (LC's) go from isotropic to an ordered dispersion, a property which can be captured via crosslinking to improve holographic lifetime. In the following, the characterization of an aligned host LC system based on the biopolymer poly({alpha}-benzyl-L-glutamate), PBLG, is presented. In-plane alignment is shown to depend on a number of variables, most notably the choice of solvent, polymermore » molecular weight, and field strength. The results show that optimal alignment of the PBLG LC is achieved with a 2.5% (w/w) concentration of a 118kD biopolymer in methylene chloride in an applied field of 10 kV/cm. Subsequent work will exploit this system as a host for a spiropyran dye for improved holographics.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Cambridge Scientific, Inc., Belmont, MA (US)
OSTI Identifier:
20034115
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Organic Solid-State Materials IV, Boston, MA, (US), 12/01/1997--12/05/1997; Other Information: PBD: 1998; Related Information: In: Electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of organic solid-state materials IV. Materials Research Society, symposium proceedings Volume 488, by Reynolds, J.R.; Jen, A.K.Y.; Rubner, M.F.; Chiang, L.Y.; Dalton, L.R. [eds.], 977 pages.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; MICROSTRUCTURE; LIQUID CRYSTALS; POLYMERS; GELS; DYES; THIN FILMS; HOLOGRAPHY; INFRARED SPECTRA; ELECTRIC FIELDS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA

Citation Formats

White, R L, Hsu, Y Y, Cooper, T M, Gresser, J D, Wise, D L, and Trantolo, D J. Photochromic liquid hydrogels as hosts for holographic materials. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
White, R L, Hsu, Y Y, Cooper, T M, Gresser, J D, Wise, D L, & Trantolo, D J. Photochromic liquid hydrogels as hosts for holographic materials. United States.
White, R L, Hsu, Y Y, Cooper, T M, Gresser, J D, Wise, D L, and Trantolo, D J. 1998. "Photochromic liquid hydrogels as hosts for holographic materials". United States.
@article{osti_20034115,
title = {Photochromic liquid hydrogels as hosts for holographic materials},
author = {White, R L and Hsu, Y Y and Cooper, T M and Gresser, J D and Wise, D L and Trantolo, D J},
abstractNote = {The goal of this project is to develop, fabricate, and test advanced optical materials for potential applications to real-time holography based on liquid crystalline polymer hydrogels. In this project, the authors are investigating the feasibility of increasing holographic capacity and lifetime by coupling a photochromic spyropyan dye to a liquid crystalline polymer in which cholesteric order has been captured. Capture is being approached using a unique in-plane poling process with the helical polypeptide poly({alpha}-benzyl-L-glutamate), PBLG, a biopolymer which is capable of maintaining cholesteric order in a liquid crystalline state. Subsequent in situ crosslinking of this aligned biopolymer is projected to offer increased birefringence of the host in the writing of a hologram. Given that a key issue is the magnitude of the real component of the refractive index, increasing the birefringence may be a useful approach. In writing the hologram, the liquid crystals (LC's) go from isotropic to an ordered dispersion, a property which can be captured via crosslinking to improve holographic lifetime. In the following, the characterization of an aligned host LC system based on the biopolymer poly({alpha}-benzyl-L-glutamate), PBLG, is presented. In-plane alignment is shown to depend on a number of variables, most notably the choice of solvent, polymer molecular weight, and field strength. The results show that optimal alignment of the PBLG LC is achieved with a 2.5% (w/w) concentration of a 118kD biopolymer in methylene chloride in an applied field of 10 kV/cm. Subsequent work will exploit this system as a host for a spiropyran dye for improved holographics.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20034115}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998},
month = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998}
}

Conference:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this conference proceeding.

Save / Share: