• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.545-550
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• 2004

The refractive index of thin copolymer film was controlled by photo-degradation of chromophores in the copolymer. FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy were employed to elucidate the effect of chemical structure on refractive index changes after photobleaching. The decrease of refractive index of the film by photobleaching can be ascribed to the decrease of polarizability of polymer molecules through breakage of C =C bond in the chromophore. Due to the selective photoreaction of the chromophores which align along the film plane, refractive index of the copolymer film measured in TE mode decreases faster than that in TM mode. Polarized ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was used to verify such a difference in refractive index of the film.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

Optical transparency and high diffraction efficiency are two essential factors for high performance of the photopolymer. Optical transparency mainly depends on the miscibility between polymer binder and photopolymerized polymer, while diffraction efficiency depends on the refractive index modulation between polymer binder and photopolymerized polymer. For most of organic materials, the large refractive index difference between two polymers accompanies large structural difference that leads to the poor miscibility and thus poor optical quality via light scattering. Therefore, it is difficult to design a high-performance photopolymer satisfying both requirements. In this work, first, we prepared a new phase-stable photopolymer (PMMA) with large refractive index modulation and investigated the optical properties. Our photopolymer is based on modified poly (methyl methacrylate) as a polymer binder, acryl amide as a photopolymerizable monomer, triethanolamine as initiator, and yellow eosin as a photosensitizer at 532 nm. Diffraction efficiency over 85% and optical transmittance over 90% were obtained for the photopolymer. Second, Organic-inorganic nanocomposite films were prepared by dispersing an aromatic methacrylic monomer and a photo- initiator in organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel matrices. The film properties could be controlled by optimizing the content of an organically modified silica precursor (TSPEG) in the sol-gel matrices. The photopolymer film modified with the organic chain (TSPEG) showed high diffraction efficiency (> 90%) under an optimized condition. High diffraction efficiency could be ascribed to the fast diffusion and efficient polymerization of monomers under interference light to generate refractive index modulation. The TSPEG modified photopolymer film could be successfully used for holographic memory.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2004

We have manufactured and characterized the fiber-to-Planar Waveguide Coupler for analysis of the photo-induced refractive index change of DM-BTE .(l,2-bis[2,5-dimethylthio-phen-3-yl]-hexafluorocyclopentene) When irradiated with ultraviolet light, the colorless diarylethene(DM-BTE)-crystal turned red while keeping the crystal shape. The red color was bleached by irradiation with visible light(λ＞450 nm). The resonant wavelength was shifted and recovered owing to the refractive index variation of the planar waveguide because of its photo-functional properties on exposure to UV and visible light. The wavelength responses of this switch by UV exposure were measured as 0.057 nm/sec with saturation time of 60 seconds. and when illuminated by visible light, resonance wavelength variations were measured as 0.028 nm/sec, with recovery time of 140 seconds.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.533-540
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• 2007

We designed and successfully synthesized UV curable, functional acrylate monomers having a polarizing group, i.e., an electron-withdrawing and/or electron-donating group for the optical materials of high refractive index. Optical polymer films made from the functional methacrylate monomers were achieved with photo crosslinking under UV illumination. A monomer having amino and cyano groups (Dimer-CN) exhibited the highest refractive index ($n_{TE}$=1.595 at 850nm) among the studied methacrylate derivatives, due to the large polarizability of the dipolar monomer structures with electron-donating and withdrawing groups. By controlling the compositions of the functional acrylate monomer of copolymers, the refractive indices of the polymers were readily adjusted within a wide range of 1.498-1.595. The copolymers showed a high glass transition temperature $(T_g)$ and good thermal stability, which are desirable for optical applications. $T_g$ and $T_{10%}$ (10%-weight loss occurred) of the copolymers ranged from $120-140^{\circ}C$ and from $329-387^{\circ}C$, respectively.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.477-482
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• 2005

Photopolymers are attractive materials for holographic 3-D data storage because of their high photosensitivity and large refractive index modulation. We synthesized the six-armed dendrimer for fabricating the new photopolymer. It was prepared using the initiating mixture of hexaarylbiimidazole (HABI), mercapto-benzoxazole (MOBZ), and 2,6-bis(4-diethylaminobenzylidene)cyclopentanone (DEAW), which is sensitive to 514 nm wavelength. The holographic gratings were fabricated successfully in these photopolymer samples by conventional optical interference method. We investigated the effect of dendrimer, either as a binder or as a plasticizer in the cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), on the diffraction behavior. The addition of only 1 wt$\%$ of dendrimer-I into the CAB significantly increased the diffraction efficiency. The sample doped with dendrimer showed around 80-83$\%$ of the diffraction efficiency.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.158-161
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• 2006

Recently the application of plastic optical fiber (POF) in automotives and planes demands the heat-resistant and high refractive index con materials. We synthesized polyglutarimides (PGIs) via imidization of PMMA with primary amines under high pressure and high temperature and investigated thermal and optical properties by varying the molar ratio of amines and the type of amines (ethyl amine vs. isopropyl mine). The degree of imidization was calculated based on the peak intensity in $^1H$ NMR and FTIR. We found that the glass transition temperature $(T_g)$ of PGIs increased over $30^{\circ}C$ compared to the traditional core materials in POF, PMMA, and they are stable up to $300\sim400^{\circ}C$. PGIs anthesized with ethyl mine show the better heat resistance than those with isopropyl amines. Additionally, they show the comparable transparency and higher refractive index than PMMA. It implies that they can be utilized as the excellent photo-efficient and heat-resistant core materials in POF.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.335-341
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• 2002

In this paper, we investigated a novel UV sensor using evanescent field coupling between the side polished fiber and photo-functional polymer waveguide. It was found that resonant wavelength shifts occur due to variation in the refractive index of polymer planar waveguide for its photo-functional properties on exposed UV. Spiroxazine (photochromic dye) was used as the planar waveguide. The resonant wavelength responses were exhibited at 1.44 nm/mW, 1.64 nm/mW, and 1.78 nm/mW when UV irradiations were exposed for 20 seconds, 30 seconds, and 40 seconds, respectively. The recovery time of sensor was independent of UV exposure power and 90% recovery time was 100 seconds.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2010

Fluorescent photopolymer film was prepared with composition containing acrylate monomer, binder, a visible light sensitive photo initiator, and fluorescent anthracene polymer. A fluorescent grating pattern was inscribed on the photopolymer film using a 2-beam coupling method. A 514 nm laser was coupled to generate a beam-interference pattern. A highly fluorescent diffractive line pattern was formed on the fluorescent photopolymer within 30 sec. of exposure. The fluorescence intensity was highly enhanced in the patterned area, possibly due to the change in the environment of the fluorescent polymers by the photo-polymerization of monomers. Under a photo-mask, a gap electrode pattern was formed of fluorescent gratings with a sub-micron scale, which was matched well to the calculated value ($2.5\;{\mu}m$ and $0.6\;{\mu}m$) based on the refractive index of the photopolymer and beam incident angle ($3.4^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$) to the photopolymer surface.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.295-301
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• 1997

다양하고 방대한 양의 정보를 효과적으로 처리, 분배하는 멀티미디어 정보통신 시스템이 광신호에 의한 처리를 통해 구현되어갈 전망이다. 이를 위해 빛을 발생시키는 발광소자, 빛을 검출하는 소광소자, 광신호를 처리하는 광신호 처리소자 그리고 광신호를 전달해주는 광섬유 및 화상정보의 표시를 위한 표시소자 등이 중요한 요소기술이다. 이같은 소자의 제작에 있어 기존 물질로는 요구에 대한 대응이 어려워 보다 우수한 성능의 소재개발이 요구된다. 이에 대한 대체물질로 최근 유기물 또는 고분자가 각광을 받고 있으며, 이를 사용한 소자개발이 활발히 진행되고 있다. 이제까지 무기물로 달성하기 힘들었던 많은 기술들이 유기물로 쉽게 구현이 가능하게 되면 고성능의 소재 및 소자기술은 다가오느 정보화 시대를 더축 풍요롭게 하는데 크게 기여할 것이다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.79-83
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• 2007

We have developed a compact and cost-effective camera module on the basis of wafer-scale replication technology. A multiple-layered structure of several aspheric lenses in a mobile camera module is first assembled by bonding multiple glass-wafers on which 2-dimensional replica arrays of identical aspheric lenses are UV-embossed, followed by dicing the stacked wafers and packaging them with image sensor chips. We have demonstrated a VGA camera module fabricated by the wafer-scale replication processing with various UV-curable polymers having refractive indices between 1.4 and 1.6, and with three different glass-wafers of which both surfaces are embossed as aspheric lenses having 200 um sag-height and aspheric-coefficients of lens polynomials up to tenth-order. We have found that precise compensation in material shrinkage of the polymer materials is one of the most technical challenges, in order to achieve a higher resolution in wafer-scaled lenses for mobile camera modules.