Back to results
US 11,619,880 B2Granted
Holographic photopolymer compositions and composites
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Colorado
InventorsRobert R. McLeod, David Glugla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates in one aspect to methods of preparing non-homogeneous polymer materials wherein light is used to control structure and/or composition. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods for creating gradient index optical elements including holographic elements.
Claims16
A method of generating a composite material, the method comprising:
- illuminating a composite material comprising:
- a three dimensional solid scaffold comprising reversible covalent bonds that allow for release of internal stress in the composite material,
- a mobile soluble photopolymerizable material having a refractive index of about 1.58 to about 1.7, and
- a photoinitiator;
- wherein the solid scaffold comprises at least one region exposed to illumination and at least one region unexposed to illumination;
- photopolymerizing a fraction of the photopolymerizable material to form an immobile insoluble latent pattern in the solid scaffold and retaining at least one mobile unpolymerized fraction of the photopolymerizable material in the at least one region unexposed to illumination;
- extracting the at least one mobile unpolymerized fraction from the composite material;
- and
- transporting a filler into the composite material to replace the extracted mobile unpolymerized fraction, wherein the latent pattern controls distribution of the filler within the composite material,
- wherein the illuminating is repeated one or more times before or after the photopolymerizing step, the extracting step, or the transporting step;
- and
- wherein the filler is at least one of a polymerizable filler material, metal or other nanoparticles, nanowires, liquid crystals, or quantum dots.
9 more elements
A composite material having a gradient refractive index throughout its structure, the composite material comprising÷ a three dimensional solid scaffold polymer
- wherein the material further comprises:
- a region exposed to illumination and a region unexposed to illumination;
- an at least partially polymerized photopolymerizable material having a refractive index of about 1.58 to about 1.7, defining a latent pattern in the solid scaffold;
- a filler distributed within the composite material as directed by the latent pattern within the composite material;
- and
- optionally a polymerization initiator,
- wherein the solid scaffold polymer comprises reversible covalent bonds that allow for release of internal stress in the composite material,
- wherein the filler is at least one of a polymerizable filler material, metal or other nanoparticles, nanowires, liquid crystals, or quantum dots, and
- wherein the glass transition temperature of the solid matrix scaffold polymer is sufficiently high that transport of the photopolymerizable material from the unexposed region to the exposed region during illumination of the writing monomer is suppressed.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.