Patent · US Expired

Birefringent structures formed by photo-exposure of polymer films and method for fabrication thereof

US5161039A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
12References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 2, 1991
Grant dateNov 3, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 2, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B1/04
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A birefringent structure useful as a waveplate, grating, a hologram, a beam separator, a digital data storage medium or the like is formed by photo-exposure causing photo-reaction between photons and polymeric structures. In a specific embodiment, birefringence is induced by applying optical energy to a polymer film such as a polysilane with sufficient intensity to excite nonlinear absorption in the polymer film such that a pattern of the exposing optical energy is recorded in the polymer film. The optical energy is of a distinct polarization state such that the nonlinear optical ef PAC BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention was made under contract with or supported by the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Contract No. AFOSR-88-0354. The Government has certain rights in this invention.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.