Photorefractive dynamics in poly(triarylamine)-based polymer composites

Photorefractive Response Enhancement in Poly(triarylamine)-Based Polymer Composites by a Second Electron Trap Chromophore

Photorefractive (PR) performances are affected by the components of the photoconductor, sensitizer, nonlinear optical dye, and plasticizer. A photoconductor with high hole mobility promises a faster response time, whereas it induces higher photoconductivity, which leads to easy dielectric breakdown. Adding a second electron trap is effective in controlling photoconductivity. In this study, the role of a second electron trap 1,3,5-tri[(3-pyridyl)-phen-3-yl]benzene (TmPyPB) was investigated in a PR composite consisting of a photoconductor of poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] with a high hole mobility, a nonlinear optical chromophore of piperidinodicyanostyrene, a plasticizer of (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)diphenylamine, and a sensitizer of [6,6]-phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid-methyl ester. The minimum time response with the maximum optical diffraction efficiency and sensitivity was measured at a 1 wt % content of TmPyPB. These results were consistent with the number of charge carriers trapped per unit volume and per unit time N _c (cm^-3 s^-1), which is defined as the ratio between the initial trap density T _i (cm^-3) and response time τ (s), at a 1 wt % content of TmPyPB. A faster response time of 149 μs, optical diffraction of 24.1% (external diffraction of 4.8%), and a sensitivity of 2746 cm² J^-1 were measured at 50 V μm^-1 for the sample with 1 wt % TmPyPB. High loading of 5 wt % TmPyPB led to a large decrease in photoconductivity and effectively suppressed the dielectric breakdown under a stronger electric field, whereas a slower response time with lower diffraction efficiency was observed for optical diffraction.

Self-adaptive amplified spontaneous emission suppression with a photorefractive two-beam coupling filter

Optical bandpass filters can be utilized to suppress parasitic broadband spectral power prior to laser amplification but are typically designed around specific frequencies or require manual adjustment, thus limiting their compatibility with highly tunable or integrated laser systems. In this Letter, we introduce a self-adaptive volume holographic filter using the dynamic two-beam coupling interaction in photorefractive BaTiO₃, demonstrating -10dB suppression of amplified spontaneous emission noise surrounding a tunable 780 nm diode laser peak, with <2nm filter bandwidth and 50% power throughput. The spectral filtering is automatically centered on the lasing mode, with an estimated auto-tuning rate of 100 GHz/s under typical conditions. Furthermore, the filter suppression and bandwidth can be optimized via the two-beam coupling intensity ratio and angle, respectively, for versatile control over the self-adaptive filter characteristics.

Optimal composition of the poly(triarylamine)-based polymer composite to maximize photorefractive performance

A holographic display system requires the external diffraction efficiency to be greater than 10% and four orders of magnitude of sensitivity for practical usage. To achieve such requirements, the photorefractive (PR) performance of PR composite based on poly[bis(2,4,6-trimethylpheneyl)amine] (PTAA) has been investigated. In the present report, the change of the content of PTAA as a photoconductive polymer, (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)diphenylamine (TAA) as a photoconductive plasticizer, and second trap agent bathophenanthroline (BPhen) reasonably optimized the PR response time and external diffraction efficiency. High sensitivity of 1851 cm² J^-1 with response time of 494 μs and external diffraction efficiency of 23.9% were achieved at 532 nm and 60 V μm^-1 by reducing the content of PTAA and increasing the contents of TAA and BPhen. Decreasing the amount of PTAA and increasing the contents of TAA and BPhen lowered the absorption coefficient, resulting in the high external diffraction efficiency. The narrower distribution of the electronic density of states (DOS) for PTAA/TAA (43.5/20 and 33.5/30) also contributed to the shorter PR response time of hundreds of microseconds.

Sub-Millisecond Response Time in a Photorefractive Composite Operating under CW Conditions

Extensive study of photorefractive polymeric composites photosensitized with semiconductor nanocrystals has yielded data indicating that the inclusion of such nanocrystals enhances the charge-carrier mobility, and subsequently leads to a reduction in the photorefractive response time. Unfortunately, the included nanocrystals may also act as a source of deep traps, resulting in diminished diffraction efficiencies as well as reduced two beam coupling gain coefficients. Nonetheless, previous studies indicate that this problem is mitigated through the inclusion of semiconductor nanocrystals possessing a relatively narrow band-gap. Here, we fully exploit this property by doping PbS nanocrystals into a newly formulated photorefractive composite based on molecular triphenyldiamine photosensitized with C₆₀. Through this approach, response times of 399 μs are observed, opening the door for video and other high-speed applications. It is further demonstrated that this improvement in response time occurs with little sacrifice in photorefractive efficiency, with internal diffraction efficiencies of 72% and two-beam-coupling gain coefficients of 500 cm⁻¹ being measured. A thorough analysis of the experimental data is presented, supporting the hypothesized mechanism of enhanced charge mobility without the accompaniment of superfluous traps. It is anticipated that this approach can play a significant role in the eventual commercialization of this class of materials.