Next Generation Polymeric Optical Host Materials

Eikos, Inc. will develop thermoplastic optical host materials that have high laser damage threshold (LDT) for next generation optical components. The world class team of researchers brought together at Eikos and Virginia Polytech will develop thesematerials with high single and multiple pulse laser damage thresholds, and investigate the underlying material structure-property relationships to understand the mechanisms that give rise to increased laser damage thresholds. These polymers offersubstantial advantages over current PMMA-based materials including thermoplastic processing, very high refractive indices, higher thermal stability, excellent blending characteristic with both organic and inorganic dyes, and additional benefits includingionization and atomic oxygen resistance. These new polymers are the state-of-the-art in transparent thermoplastic materials and are being developed for several commercial applications including next generation canopies and optical lenses. The mechanicalproperties and optical quality of these materials are perfectly suited for their development in a variety of applications including optical limiting, optical signal processing, and replacement of current PMMA or polycarbonate products. The range ofproperties exhibited by these polymers will allow us to develop a detailed structure-proerty relationship for high laser damage threshold. Eikos has already started commercialization of these materials with a major consumer products company.In addition tothese laser specific applications, perhaps the most robust markets for these materials lie in the general realm of transparent plastics. The transparent plastic market is a multibillion dollar market, and include industries like packaging, buildingproducts, medical products, and electronics. Where these particular materials will have advantages is in the high temperature applications where conventional PET, PMMA, or polycarbonate materials fail to perform. These materials also offer some uniqueproperties such as high dielectric constant and refractive index, which has potential uses in linear optics and electronic devices. Finally, these materials are inherently atomic oxygen resistant, which will make them particularly suitable for transparentpolymer applications in space.