Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
08:06
Fabrication of Polymer Microspheres for Optical Resonator and Laser Applications
Published on: June 2, 2017
Thermal and optical properties of polymer hosts for solid-state dye lasers
W J Wadsworth1, S M Giffin, I T McKinnie
1Department of Physics, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Applied Optics
|March 6, 2008
Summary
We investigated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and its modified forms for optical applications. Modified polymers show enhanced laser damage thresholds and excellent spectral transmission, making them suitable for advanced optical materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a widely used transparent polymer.
- Enhancing the optical and thermal properties of PMMA is crucial for advanced applications.
- Modified PMMA and its copolymers offer potential improvements over standard PMMA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the thermal and optical properties of modified PMMA and P(HEMA:MMA) copolymers.
- To evaluate laser damage thresholds and thermal lensing effects.
- To compare the performance of modified polymers with standard PMMA.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of PMMA, MPMMA (PMMA with ethanol), and P(HEMA:MMA) copolymers.
- Measurement of spectral transmission across the visible spectrum.
- Laser-induced damage threshold testing.
- Thermal lensing measurements using Rhodamine 6G doping.
Main Results:
- Excellent spectral transmission was observed for all tested polymers.
- MPMMA and P(HEMA:MMA) exhibited at least a twofold increase in laser damage threshold compared to PMMA.
- Thermal lensing effects were similar across the materials, with f = -450 mm for 200 mW pump power.
- P(HEMA:MMA) demonstrated superior surface quality and dye distribution over MPMMA.
Conclusions:
- Modified PMMA and P(HEMA:MMA) copolymers present significant improvements in laser damage resistance.
- These materials maintain excellent optical transmission and comparable thermal lensing behavior.
- P(HEMA:MMA) is particularly promising due to its enhanced surface properties and uniform dye distribution for optical applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity
Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
01:28Classification and Mechanical Properties of Synthetic Polymers
Synthetic polymers are classified as elastomers, fibers, or plastics based on their crystallinity. Crystallinity, the degree of long-range order in the solid state, influences the mechanical properties (stretching or contracting) of elastomers. Elastomers are flexible polymers that can expand or contract easily upon the application of an external force. They have numerous crosslinks that pull them back into their original shape when stress is removed. Silicones, for instance, are highly elastic...
01:21Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...