Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Enhanced Photorefractivity in a Polymeric Composite Photosensitized with Carbon Nanotubes Grafted to a Photoconductive Polymer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We report on the photosensitization of photorefractive (PR) polymeric composites through the inclusion of multiwalled and singlewalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), respectively, having poly(N -vinyl carbazole) (PVK) grafted to their surfaces. The PR nature of the holographic gratings was confirmed via the asymmetric exchange of energy in a two-beam-coupling (TBC) geometry, yielding TBC gain coefficients approaching 80 cm -1 . In addition, in degenerate-four-wave- mixing experiments the prepared composites exhibited diffraction efficiencies as high as 60% and overmodulation voltages as low as ∼40 V/μm. These notable figures of merit indicate that the grafting of the PVK polymer to the various CNTs results in enhanced PR performance. The mechanism responsible for this enhancement in PR performance is investigated using a variety of experimental techniques.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of Applied Physics
Volume109
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2011

Keywords

  • Carbon nanotubes
  • Degenerate four-wave mixing
  • Exchange of energy
  • Experimental techniques
  • Figures of merits
  • Four wave mixing
  • Gain coefficients
  • Grafting (chemical)
  • Multi-walled
  • Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCN)
  • Overmodulation
  • Photo-refractive
  • Photoconductive polymers
  • Photoreactivity
  • Photorefractivity
  • Poly(N-vinylcarbazole)
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • Polymeric composites
  • Polymers
  • Reinforced plastics

Disciplines

  • Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Enhanced Photorefractivity in a Polymeric Composite Photosensitized with Carbon Nanotubes Grafted to a Photoconductive Polymer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this