Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers
Bicomponent photoluminescent polymer optical fibers (PL-POFs) have been melt-spun and in-situ drawn to different extents. The results suggest that scattering in the sheath can effectively increase the photoluminescent dye excitation probability in the fiber core. The core/sheath PL-POFs are made of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3262 |
| _version_ | 1797431780975837184 |
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| author | Edith Perret Konrad Jakubowski Manfred Heuberger Rudolf Hufenus |
| author_facet | Edith Perret Konrad Jakubowski Manfred Heuberger Rudolf Hufenus |
| author_sort | Edith Perret |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bicomponent photoluminescent polymer optical fibers (PL-POFs) have been melt-spun and in-situ drawn to different extents. The results suggest that scattering in the sheath can effectively increase the photoluminescent dye excitation probability in the fiber core. The core/sheath PL-POFs are made of a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer sheath of low refractive index (RI) and an amorphous cycloolefin polymeric core of high RI, which is doped with a luminescent dye. The axial light emission, as well as the guiding attenuation coefficients of the core/sheath PL-POFs, have been measured using a side-illumination set-up. The incident blue laser is down-converted to red light, which is re-emitted and partially guided by the core. The axial light emission is measured at the fiber tip as a function of the distance from the illumination position to the integrating sphere. It is demonstrated that the presence of a semi-crystalline sheath significantly enhances the axial light emission and that it also lowers the attenuation coefficient, compared to the emission and guiding properties of PL core-only fibers. Additionally, the attenuation coefficient has been found to be lower in more strongly drawn PL-POFs. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal structural differences in differently drawn PL-POFs that can be linked to the observed differences in the optical properties. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:50:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8cf247034014f95a133b264a28de312 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:50:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8cf247034014f95a133b264a28de3122023-12-02T00:11:37ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-08-011416326210.3390/polym14163262Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical FibersEdith Perret0Konrad Jakubowski1Manfred Heuberger2Rudolf Hufenus3Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, SwitzerlandLaboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, SwitzerlandLaboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, SwitzerlandLaboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, SwitzerlandBicomponent photoluminescent polymer optical fibers (PL-POFs) have been melt-spun and in-situ drawn to different extents. The results suggest that scattering in the sheath can effectively increase the photoluminescent dye excitation probability in the fiber core. The core/sheath PL-POFs are made of a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer sheath of low refractive index (RI) and an amorphous cycloolefin polymeric core of high RI, which is doped with a luminescent dye. The axial light emission, as well as the guiding attenuation coefficients of the core/sheath PL-POFs, have been measured using a side-illumination set-up. The incident blue laser is down-converted to red light, which is re-emitted and partially guided by the core. The axial light emission is measured at the fiber tip as a function of the distance from the illumination position to the integrating sphere. It is demonstrated that the presence of a semi-crystalline sheath significantly enhances the axial light emission and that it also lowers the attenuation coefficient, compared to the emission and guiding properties of PL core-only fibers. Additionally, the attenuation coefficient has been found to be lower in more strongly drawn PL-POFs. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal structural differences in differently drawn PL-POFs that can be linked to the observed differences in the optical properties.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3262polymer optical fiberlight scatteringlight conversionluminescent solar concentratorsemi-crystalline polymer |
| spellingShingle | Edith Perret Konrad Jakubowski Manfred Heuberger Rudolf Hufenus Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers Polymers polymer optical fiber light scattering light conversion luminescent solar concentrator semi-crystalline polymer |
| title | Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers |
| title_full | Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers |
| title_short | Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers |
| title_sort | effects of nanoscale morphology on optical properties of photoluminescent polymer optical fibers |
| topic | polymer optical fiber light scattering light conversion luminescent solar concentrator semi-crystalline polymer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3262 |
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