| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L35522/01 |
| Title: |
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISATION OF NONLINEAR OPTICAL POLYMER NETWORKS AND THEIR USE IN WAVEGUIDING DEVICES |
| Principal Investigator: |
Kelly, Professor S |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Department: |
Chemistry |
| Organisation: |
University of Hull |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 1997 |
Ends: |
30 September 1999 |
Value (£): |
100,204
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Synthesis & Growth |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The prime aim is to fabricate improved second order organic nonlinear optical waveguides for use as electrooptic modulators at the interface between fibre optic cable and copper wire technology for telecommunication applications. The technology has many other applications, e.g., tunable filters in wavelength division systems. A new approach utilising the self-assembling nature of photopolymerisable chiral smectic C or nematic liquid crystals will be adopted. A defect free monodomain will be produced under weak field strengths on the device substrate and then be fixed in position permanently by cross-linking with ultra-violet light. this will yield thin films of nonlinear optical materials as a solid polymer network. Such networks are thermally and electrochemically stable and will fix the chromophore responsible for the light modulation in position. Low loss will be obtained by the avoidance of defects in the liquid crystal state. photobleaching can be used to generate channel waveguides of the desired configuration. This approach has the advantages of simplicity, ease of processing and improved thermal and optical stability due to the use of anisotropic polymer networks. Demonstrator Mach-Zehnder interferometers will be fabricated and evaluated at high switching speeds.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.hull.ac.uk |