Homogeneous polymer blend microparticles with a tunable refractive index

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1999 · Optics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.24.000121· OSTI ID:295512

Barnes, M D; Kung, C; Lermer, N; Fukui, K; Sumpter, B G; Noid, D W ^[1]; Otaigbe, J U ^[2]

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1. Chemical and Analytical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6142 (United States)
2. Department of Materials Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

We show that homogeneous polymer blend microparticles can be prepared {ital in situ} from droplets of dilute solution of codissolved polymers. Provided that the droplet of solution is small enough ({lt}10 {mu}m) , solvent evaporation is rapid enough to inhibit phase separation. Thus the polymers that are being mixed need not be miscible, which greatly enhances the applicability of the technique. From analysis of two-dimensional Fraunhofer diffraction (angular scattering) patterns, we show that both the real and the imaginary parts of the refractive index can be tuned by adjustment of the relative weight fractions of polymers in solution. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital Optical Society of America}

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-96OR22464
• OSTI ID: 295512
• Journal Information: Optics Letters, Vol. 24, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
NONLINEAR OPTICS
POLYMERS
DROPLETS
REFRACTIVE INDEX
DIFFRACTION
TUNING