Photopolymerizable thiol-ene nanocomposite materials for holographic applications

Yasuo Tomita; Eiji Hata; Satoru Yasui; Ken Mitsube

doi:10.1117/12.886713

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11 May 2011 Photopolymerizable thiol-ene nanocomposite materials for holographic applications

Yasuo Tomita, Eiji Hata, Satoru Yasui, Ken Mitsube

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Proceedings Volume 8074, Holography: Advances and Modern Trends II; 80740F (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.886713
Event: SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics, 2011, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

We describe an experimental investigation of the photopolymerization kinetics and volume holographic recording characteristics of silica nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposites using thiol-ene monomers capable of step-growth polymerization. We characterize the visible light curing kinetics of a thiol-ene monomer system consisting of secondary dithiol with high self-life stability and low odor and triene with rigid structure and high electron density by using real-time Fourier transform spectroscopy and photocalorimetry. In plane-wave volume holographic recording at a wavelength of 532 nm it is shown that while volume holograms recorded in the nanocomposites exhibit high transparency, their saturated refractive index modulation (Δn_sat) and material sensitivity (S) are as large as 1x10^-2 and 1615 cm/J, respectively. The polymerization shrinkage is reduced as low as 0.4% as a result of the late gelation in conversion. These values meet the acceptable values for holographic data storage media (i.e., 5x10^-3, 500 cm/J and 0.5% for Δn_sat, S and shrinkage, respectively). The improved thermal stability of volume holograms recorded in the nanocomposites is also confirmed experimentally.

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Yasuo Tomita, Eiji Hata, Satoru Yasui, and Ken Mitsube "Photopolymerizable thiol-ene nanocomposite materials for holographic applications", Proc. SPIE 8074, Holography: Advances and Modern Trends II, 80740F (11 May 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.886713

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