Robust Optical Limiters From Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials

"Robust and transparent polysilsesquioxane ceramics with high TGA values, around 500 ¿C, that can withstand harsh space environments like the wide temperature range in space and high vacuum are proposed as matrices for "agile" laser protection devices.Incorporating metallophthalocyanines or metallonaphthalocyanines optical dyes with different ?max values into transparent thin-film polysilsesquioxane ceramics matrices is expected to yield laser-attenuating films. The dyes span a broad range of ?maxvalues typical of lasers on the market and each high-frequency laser pulses because of the intrinsic molecular photoresponsive mechanism; fast reaction times and recovery times less than 1 x 10-12 s. We expect the sensor-protection device to attenuateradiation by factors higher than 400 and figure of merit (FOM) values higher than 7500. The robust and agile sensor-protecting functional gradient optical limiters are expected to offer the combined physical ruggedness of rugates, the agility of carbonsuspensions and the processibility of polycarbonates. Though the primary objective of the proposed process and materials is for the manufacture of eye-safety devices for protection against laser radiation for the military markets, need for ground-troopprotection, pilot protection and sensor protection, there does exist a market that will increasingly need laser-attenuating protective screens. The successful demonstration of the feasibility of maki