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Fabrication of Polymer Microspheres for Optical Resonator and Laser Applications
Published on: June 2, 2017
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Poly(lactic acid) stereocomplex microspheres as thermally tolerant optical resonators
Suharman1,2, Wey Yih Heah3, Hiroshi Yamagishi1,3
1Department of Material Innovation, Graduate School of Pure and Applied Science, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8573, Japan.
Nanoscale
|November 21, 2023
Summary
New polymer optical resonators made from stereocomplex poly(lactic acid) exhibit superior thermal stability. These resonators maintain optical properties at temperatures up to 230 °C, enabling high-temperature applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Polymer optical resonators are crucial for various photonic applications.
- Enhancing the thermal stability of these resonators is essential for high-temperature operation.
- Stereocomplexation of polylactic acid offers potential for improved material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate thermally tolerant polymer optical resonators.
- To investigate the thermal stability of stereocomplex poly(lactic acid) microspheres.
- To evaluate the performance of these resonators at elevated temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polymer optical resonators using the oil-in-water miniemulsion method.
- Synthesis of stereocomplex poly(lactic acid) (SC-PLA) from poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid).
- Characterization of thermal stability and optical properties of SC-PLA and homochiral poly(lactic acid) (HC-PLA) microspheres.
Main Results:
- SC-PLA microspheres demonstrated significantly higher thermal stability compared to HC-PLA microspheres.
- Optical resonator properties of SC-PLA microspheres were maintained up to 230 °C.
- This represents a 70 °C improvement in operational temperature compared to HC-PLA resonators.
Conclusions:
- Stereocomplex poly(lactic acid) is a promising material for fabricating thermally stable polymer optical resonators.
- The developed SC-PLA resonators offer enhanced performance at elevated temperatures.
- These findings pave the way for advanced photonic devices operating in harsh thermal environments.
