Claims
- 1. A method of preparing an optical limiting device, comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving an RSA material having reverse saturable absorption properties in a first solvent to produce a first solution; (b) dissolving polyvinylbutyral into a second solvent to produce a second solution; (c) mixing the solutions together to produce a third solution and stirring the third solution to remove air bubbles therefrom; (d) layering the third solution onto one side of a transparent substrate; and (e) evaporating the solvent from the third solution to produce a solid layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material that is adhered to the substrate and thereby form the optical limiting device.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RSA material comprises a metallophthalocyanine complex.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the metallophthalocyanine complex comprises a lead-phthalocyanine complex.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first solvent and second solvent comprise tetrahydrofuran or chloroform.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate comprises a fused silica substrate.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate comprises a flat substrate.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate comprises a curved substrate.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a thickness of about 0.5-1.5 millimeters.
- 9. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material comprises a thickness of about 50-600 microns.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dissolving the RSA material in a first solvent comprises preparing a saturated solution by mixing the RSA material with the first solvent and then filtering the solution to remove undissolved RSA material.
- 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving a second RSA material having reverse saturable absorption properties in a solvent to produce a fourth solution; (b) preparing another solution of polyvinylbutyral; (a) mixing the solutions together to produce a fifth solution and stirring this solution to remove air bubbles therefrom; (b) layering the fifth solution onto another side of the transparent substrate; and (c) evaporating the solvent from the fifth solution to produce a second solid layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material adhered to the substrate and thereby form the optical limiting device.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the RSA material of the first layer and the RSA material of the second layer comprise the same RSA material.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the RSA material of the first layer and the RSA material of the second layer comprise different RSA materials.
- 14. A method of forming an optical limiting device, comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving an RSA material having reversible saturable absorption properties in a first solvent to produce a first solution; (b) dissolving polyvinylbutyral into a second solvent to produce a second solution; (c) mixing the solutions together to produce a third solution and stirring the third solution to remove air bubbles therefrom; (d) layering a portion of the third solution onto one side of a transparent substrate; (e) evaporating the evaporating the solvent from the third solution produce a first solid layer of polymer/material having reversible saturable absorption properties that is adhered to the substrate; (f) layering another portion of the third solution onto another side of the substrate plate; and (g) evaporating the solvent from other portion to produce a second solid layer of polymer/RSA material that is adhered to the substrate and thereby form the optical limiting device the optical limiting device.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the RSA material comprises a metallophthalocyanine complex.
- 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the metallophthalocyanine complex comprises a lead-phthalocyanine complex.
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first solvent and second solvent comprise tetrahydrofuran or chloroform.
- 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises a fused silica substrate.
- 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises a flat substrate.
- 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the transparent substrate comprises a curved substrate.
- 21. The method of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises a thickness of about 0.5-1.5 millimeters.
- 22. The method of claim 14, wherein each layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material comprises a thickness of about 50-600 microns.
- 23. An optical-limiting device produced by the method of preparing an optical limiting device, comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving an RSA material having reverse saturable absorption properties in a first solvent to produce a first solution; (b) dissolving polyvinylbutyral into a second solvent to produce a second solution; (c) mixing said first solution and said second solution together to produce a third solution and stirring said third solution to remove air bubbles therefrom; (d) layering said third solution onto one side of a transparent substrate; and (e) evaporating the solvent from said third solution to produce a solid layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material that is adhered to the substrate and thereby form the optical limiting device.
- 24. The device of claim 23, wherein said RSA material comprises a metallophthalocyanine complex.
- 25. The device of claim 23, wherein said metallophthalocyanine complex comprises a lead-phthalocyanine complex.
- 26. The device of claim 23, wherein said first solvent and said second solvent comprise tetrahydrofuran or chloroform.
- 27. The device of claim 23, wherein said transparent substrate comprises a fused silica substrate.
- 28. The device of claim 23, wherein said transparent substrate comprises a flat substrate.
- 29. The device of claim 23, wherein said transparent substrate comprises a curved substrate.
- 30. The device of claim 23, wherein said substrate comprises a thickness of about 0.5-1.5 millimeters.
- 31. The device of claim 23, wherein said layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material comprises a thickness of about 50-600 microns.
- 32. The device of claim 23, wherein said step of dissolving the RSA material in a first solvent comprises preparing a saturated solution by mixing the RSA material with the first solvent and then filtering the solution to remove undissolved RSA material.
- 33. The device of claim 23, made by the method further comprising the steps of:
(c) dissolving a second RSA material having reverse saturable absorption properties in a solvent to produce a fourth solution; (d) preparing another solution of polyvinylbutyral; (d) mixing said fourth solution with the polyvinyl solution together to produce a fifth solution and stirring the fifth solution to remove air bubbles therefrom; (e) layering said fifth solution onto another side of the transparent substrate; and (f) evaporating the solvent from said fifth solution to produce a second solid layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material adhered to the substrate and thereby form the optical limiting device.
- 34. The device of claim 33, wherein said RSA material of the first layer and said RSA material of the second layer are the same RSA material.
- 35. The device of claim 33, wherein said RSA material of the first layer and said RSA material of the second layer are different RSA materials.
- 36. An optical limiting device comprising:
(a) a transparent substrate; (b) a layer comprising a homogeneous mixture of an RSA material and polyvinylbutyral, said layer being attached to the substrate.
- 37. The device of claim 36, wherein said RSA material comprises a metallophthalocyanine complex.
- 38. The device of claim 36, wherein said metallophthalocyanine complex comprises a lead-phthalocyanine complex.
- 39. The device of claim 36, wherein said transparent substrate comprises a fused silica substrate.
- 40. The device of claim 36, wherein said substrate is a flat substrate.
- 41. The device of claim 36, wherein said substrate is a curved substrate.
- 42. The device of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a thickness of about 0.5-1.5 millimeters.
- 43. The device of claim 36, wherein said layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material comprises a thickness of about 50-600 microns.
- 44. An optical limiting device comprising:
(a) a transparent substrate comprising a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface; (b) a first layer comprising a homogeneous mixture of an RSA material and polyvinylbutyral, said layer being attached to said first substrate surface; and (c) a second layer comprising a second homogeneous mixture of a second RSA material and polyvinylbutyral, said second layer being attached to said second substrate surface.
- 45. The device of claim 44, wherein said first RSA material comprises a metallophthalocyanine complex.
- 46. The device of claim 44, wherein said second RSA material comprises a metallophthalocyanine complex.
- 47. The device of claim 44, wherein said first RSA material comprises a lead-phthalocyanine complex.
- 48. The device of claim 44, wherein said second RSA material comprises a lead-phthalocyanine complex.
- 49. The device of claim 44, wherein said transparent substrate comprises a fused silica substrate.
- 50. The device of claim 44, wherein said substrate comprises a flat substrate.
- 51. The device of claim 44, wherein said substrate comprises a curved substrate.
- 52. The device of claim 44, wherein said substrate comprises a thickness of about 0.5-1.5 millimeters.
- 53. The device of claim 44, wherein said layer of polyvinylbutyral/RSA material comprises a thickness of about 50-600 microns.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL RIGHTS
[0001] This invention was made with government support under Contract No. W7405-ENG-36 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.