Dielectric relaxation of poled polymer DCNP/PMMA

We have prepared the polymer thin films of a 3-(1,1-dicyanothenyl)-1-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole (DChTP)/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) guest-host system by spin coating. In order to investigate their temporal and temperature stability, we have measured their dielectric relaxation spectra including the frequency dependence of the real and imaginary parts of dielectric constants. The investigated frequency ranged from 50 Hz to 10 MHz. The measured temperature range above the glass transition temperature T-g (95 degrees C) of the DCNP/PMMA system was from 95 degrees C to 1250C. By using the Adam-Gibbs model, the temperature dependence of the characteristic time tau above T-g was fitted, and the values of the characteristic times tau below T-g were estimated. The lifetimes of the polymer were evaluated by the Kohlrausch-Williams Watts (KWW) empirical decay model. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the electrostatic interactions of chromophores on the macroscopic second-order nonlinear optical properties of the polymer films

The polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest-host system thin films doped with 3-(1,1-dicyanothenyl)-1-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pryazole (DCNP) were prepared. Their second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) coefficients chi(33)((2)) were measured by using Maker fringe method for the polymer films doped with different weight percents of DCNP. Experimental results indicate that the second-order NLO properties of the poled polymer films could decrease with the chromophore loading increasing when the chromophore loading reaches a fairly high level. In this paper, the relationship between the macroscopic second-order NLO coefficient and the chromophore number density was modified under considering the role of the electrostatic interactions of chromophores in the polymer film. According to the modified relationship, the macroscopic second-order NLO coefficient is no longer in direct proportion with the chromophore number density in the polymer film. The effect of the electrostatic interactions of chromophores on second-order NLO properties was discussed. The attenuation of the macroscopic second-order NLO activity can be demonstrated by the role of the chromophore electrostatic interactions at high loading of chromophore in the polymer systems.

Electro-optical properties and temporal stability of the guest-host DCNP/PEK-c polymer thin film

The polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest-host system thin films in which the range of the weight percent of 3-(1,1-dicyanothenyl)-1-phenyl-4, 5- dihydro-1H-pryazole (DCNP) is from 20% to 50% were prepared. The predicted high value of electro-optical (EO) coefficient gamma(33) = 48.8 pm/V by using two-level model was obtained when the weight percent of DCNP in the polymer system is 40%, whereas EO coefficients are attenuated at higher chromophore loading then 40%. The temporal stability of the EO activity of the guest-host polymer was evaluated by probing the decay of the orientational order of the chromophores in the polymer system.

Investigation of the polyetherketone guest-host DR1/PEK-c polymer films by real-time monitoring of the second-harmonic generation

The real-time monitoring of the second-harmonic generation (SHG) was used to optimize the poling condition and to study the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest-host polymer films. The high second-order NLO coefficient chi(33)((2)) = 11.02 pm/v measured at 1.064 mu m was achieved when the weight percent of DR1 guest in the polymer system is 20%. The NLO activity of the poled DR1/PEK-c polymer film can maintain more than 80% of its initial value when temperature is under 100 degrees C, and the normalized second-order NLO coefficient can maintain more than 85% after 2400 s at 80 degrees C. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Refractive index dispersion measurement on nonlinear optical polymer using V-prism refractometer

By using V-prism refractometer, the refractive indices of a polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest-host polymer system were measured with the polymer in solutions. The Lorenz-Lorentz local field formalism was used in the calculation of the refractive indices of the polymers from the measured indices of the polymer solutions and the pure solvent by using V-prism refractometer. The refractive index dispersions of the polymers were obtained by fitting the measured indices of the polymers to Sellmeyer equation. The method allows for an accuracy in index of 0.7% in the determination of the polymer indices. In addition, a large difference between the indices of the polymer and the solvent, and a higher polymer volume fraction in the measured polymer solution are favorable for a high accuracy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simple reflection technique for measuring the linear electro-optic coefficient of the polymer thin films

The simple reflection technique is usually used to measure the linear electro-optic (EO) coefficient (Pockels coefficient) in the development of EO polymer thin films. But there are some problems in some articles in the determination of the phase shift between the s and p light modes of a laser beam waveguided into the polymer film while a modulating voltage is applied across the electrodes, and different expressions for the linear EO coefficient measured have been given in these articles. In our research, more accurate expression of the linear EO coefficient was deduced by suitable considering the phase shift between the s and p light modes. The linear EO coefficients of several polymer thin films were measured by reflection technique, and the results of the Linear EO coefficient calculated by different expressions were compared. The limit of the simple reflection technique for measuring the linear EO coefficient of the polymer thin films was discussed.

The fabrication of TiO2-supported zeolite with core/shell heterostructure for ethanol dehydration to ethylene

The TiO2-supported zeolite with core/shell heterostructure was fabricated by coating aluminosilicate zeolite (ASZ) on the TiO2 inoculating seed via in situ hydrothermal synthesis. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen physisorption (BET), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The surface acidity of the catalysts was measured by pyridine-TPD method. The catalytic performance of the catalysts for ethanol dehydration to ethylene was also investigated. The results show that the TiO2-supported zeolite composite catalyst with core/shell heterostructure exhibits prominent conversion efficiency for ethanol dehydration to ethylene.

Gasoline-range hydrocarbon synthesis over cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts supported onSiO2/HZSM-5

Two types of SiO2 with different mesopore size and HZSM-5 zeolite were used to prepare hybrid supported cobalt-based catalysts. The textual and structural properties of the catalysts were studied using N-2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and H-2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) techniques. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) performances of the catalysts were carried out in a fixed-bed reactor. The combination effects of the meso- and micropores of the supports as well as the interaction between supports and cobalt particles on FTS activity are discussed. The results indicate that the catalyst supported on the tailor-made SiO2 and HZSM-5 hybrid maintained both meso- and micropore pores during the preparation process without HZSM-5 particles agglomerating. The mesopores provided quick mass transfer channels, while the micropores contributed to high metal dispersion and accelerated hydrocracking/hydroisomerization reaction rate. High CO conversion of 83.9% and selectivity to gasoline-range hydrocarbons (C-5-C-12) of 55%, including more than 10% isoparaffins, were achieved simultaneously on this type of catalyst.

Influence of dielectric properties of a substrate upon plasmon resonance spectrum of supported Ag nanoparticles

Plasmon resonance spectra of supported Ag nanoparticles are studied by depositing the particles on different substrates. It was found that the dielectric properties of the substrates have significant effects on the spectral line shape, except the resonance frequency. Beyond the plasmon resonance band, the spectral shape is mainly governed by the dielectric function, particularly its imaginary part, of the substrate. The plasmon resonance band, on the other hand, may be severely distorted if the substrate is absorbing strongly.

Theoretical design or single-polarization single-mode microstructured polymer optical fibres

Using the full-vector plane-wave expansion method, a kind of PMMA-based polarization-maintaining microstructured optical fibre (PM-mPOF) is theoretically studied. Dependence of the cutoff wavelengths of the two orthogonal polarization states (polarized along the two principal axes of PM-mPOF) on the structure parameters of the fibre is investigated in detail. A single-polarization single-mode (SPSM) PM-mPOF working in the visible region is designed and optimized with the result of the maximum SPSM bandwidth of 140 nm.

Polarization properties of elliptical core non-hexagonal symmetry polymer photonic crystal fibre

In this paper, polarization properties and propagation characteristics of polymer photonic crystal fibres with elliptical core and non-hexagonal symmetry structure are investigated by using the full vectorial plane wave method. The results how that the birefringence of the fibreis induced by asymmetries of both the cladding and the core. Moreover, by adjusting the non-symmetrical ratio factor of cladding eta from 0.4 to 1 in step 0.1, we find the optimized design parameters f the fibre with high birefringence and limited polarization mode dispersion, operating in a single mode regime at an appropriate wavelength range. The range of wavelength approaches the visible and near-infrared which is consistent with the communication windows of polymer optical fibres.

Two-dimensional photonic lattices in polymer-dispersed liquid crystal composites

The relationship between liquid crystal orientational ordering and optical diffraction properties is investigated for a two-dimensional square photonic lattice fabricated in a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) composite. Modifications of the nematic director field in the liquid crystal domains were induced by an external applied voltage and by heating over the nematic-isotropic (N-I) phase transition. They were studied by optical polarization microscopy and by analysing far-field optical diffraction patterns. The intensities of various diffraction orders (from the zeroth up to the eighth diffraction order) were monitored with a CCD camera, and their variations were correlated with the modifications of the director field.

Guiding mode in elliptical core microstructured polymer optical fiber

A kind of microstructured polymer optical fiber with elliptical core has been fabricated by adopting in-situ chemical polymerization technology and the secondary sleeving draw-stretching technique. Microscope photography demonstrates the clear hole-structure retained in the fiber. Though the holes distortion is visible, initial laser experiment indicates that light can be strongly confined in the elliptical core region, and the mode field is split obviously and presents the multi-mode characteristic. Numerical modeling is carried out for the real fiber with the measured parameters, including the external diameter of 150 pin, the average holes diameter of 3.3 mu m, and the average hole spacing of 6.3 mu m. by using full-vector plane wave method. The guided mode fields of the numerical simulation are consistent with the experiment result. This fiber shows the strong multi-mode and weak birefringence in the visible and near-infrared band, and has possibility for achieving the fiber mode convertors, mode selective couplers and so on.