Instant-Blackening Laser Protection Material Based on Combinatorial Linear and Nonlinear Approaches

To date, there are no light-activated instant-blackening optical materials for use in eye and sensor protection that can properly integrate with other essential equipments. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I proposal offers to develop materials to meet requirements of (1) fast response time, (2) high transparency at normal illumination conditions, and (3) increased broadband spectral response for protection of eyes and sensors from laser beams, by pursuing a novel approach for design of composite optical limiters, in which two complementary non-linear optical materials, namely carbon nanotubes (CNT) and MPA chromophores, will be blended together in the same matrix. As an added protection, CNT will be functionalized with carbon-rich molecules which will help the laser protection barrier to blacken instantly via damage mechanism at higher laser intensity. A proprietary hyperbranched polymer that forms excellent optical quality films and coatings will be used as the host material for Phase I effort. Our choice of active components for optical limiting material and the host polymer will make it attenuate high intensity laser at the visible broadband region while allowing sufficient (more than 50%) transmittance of light under normal illumination. The unique combination of three different OPL mechanisms makes the proposed system a novel one.