Direct observation of in-plane molecular alignment in LB films of a merocyanine dye using ESR spectroscopy

ESR measurements were made on LB films of a merocyanine dye, diluted with arachidic acid. Stable signal was detected and spectra showed clear anisotropy both for the in-plane and out-of-plane of the film. Measurements at two microwave frequencies, X- and Q-bands, confirmed that the in-plane structures of the observed line shape arise from the hyperfine splitting due to a nitrogen nucleus of the dye molecule. Based on this fact the line shape was analized by a computer simulation and the angle between the preferred direction of pπ orbital axis of the nitrogen atom and the dipping direction of the film was found to be 60° to 65° in the film plane. The possible correlation between the obtained angle and the structure of dye aggregates is discussed.     

TiO2 Nanoparticles Produced by Electric-Discharge-Nanofluid-Process as Photoelectrode of DSSC

利用自制TiO₂纳米粒子研究敏化染敏太阳能电池. 使用自制的旋转涂布加热平台装置将产出的TiO₂粒子均匀的涂布在ITO导电玻璃上形成薄膜,浸泡于N-719 染料中12小时以上作为DSSCs的光电极 元件,最后完成染料敏化太阳能电池的系统组装并进行光电转换效率测量. 实验结果表明,放电过程产出的TiO₂纳米粒子具有锐钛矿晶相,粒径尺寸可控制在20～70 nm,粒子表面电位约为-30 mV,是稳定的纳米悬浮夜. 添加0.5 mL 的Triton X-100在导电玻璃表面上,利用的旋转涂布加热到22 oC可以制得厚度均匀缜密的薄膜结构,不但粒子不受到热处理效应与介面活性剂的影响而发生晶相改变,并且薄膜也有良好的染料吸附效果. 较厚二氧化钛薄膜的光电极会提升敏化染敏太阳能电池的效率. 实验结果得知,以15 μm的二氧化钛薄膜组装DSSCs测得最高效率2.15%,但是当薄膜厚度超过15 μm 则会导致开路电压与充填因子逐渐下降,光电转换效率变差.     

皮秒激光透射率法表征高分子薄膜双光子吸收截面

为了有效地测量有机薄膜的双光子吸收截面,针对较薄有机薄膜(约60μm)和有限激发光源功率,提出了基于非线性透过率测量法的皮秒激光脉冲激发等效多层膜非线性透过率法来实现双光子吸收截面的测量。首先在PC材料基板上旋涂偶氮染料薄膜,将带有偶氮薄膜的PC基板剪切成小块(20 mm×20 mm),并将5块叠加起来作为测量样品,然后采用LD泵浦的Nd∶YVO4皮秒锁模激光器(脉冲宽度为20 ps、重复频率为56.8 MHz、输出波长为1 064 nm)激发样品。在实验中,通过测量样品的非线性透过率,拟合偶氮样品的透过率曲线,最终得到了双光子吸收截面(634.2 GM)。与其他测量方法相比,此方法简单、有效。     

Optical anisotropy and photostability of polarizing films dyed with Brilliant Yellow

We obtained polyvinyl alcohol films dyed with Brilliant Yellow (BY) and have determined their spectral and polarizing characteristics in the short-wavelength region of the visible spectrum (400–430 nm). We have shown that BY imparts a polarizing power of ≥99% to the film. We measured the orientational parameters characterizing the degree of ordering of the polymer chains and the dye molecules for different BY content in the film. An increase in BY concentration above 0.3 wt.% is accompanied by a decrease in its orientational parameter, which is connected with aggregation of dye molecules and a change in the distribution of the molecular axes relative to the film orientation axis. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 466–472, May–June, 2009.     

准波导结构染料薄膜中荧光和放大自发辐射的泄漏模特性

通过理论分析和实验测量,研究准波导结构染料薄膜中荧光和放大自发辐射（ASE）的泄漏模特性。理论上,考虑薄膜传输损耗及染料吸收损耗对准波导结构中泄漏模特性的影响,通过计算准波导结构中泄漏模的光强分布,给出了相应的物理机制分析;实验上,以棱镜为衬底制备染料薄膜,根据棱镜耦合法测量不同出射角对应的泄漏模的荧光与ASE光谱,验证理论的正确性。此外,采用光束分析仪探测各泄漏模式对应的荧光及ASE的光强分布,研究了准波导结构中ASE的激励特性。结果证明,荧光峰及ASE峰的红移以及泄漏模的激发是界面反射率、薄膜传输损耗及染料吸收损耗等共同作用的结果,而界面反射率对ASE泄漏模激发特性有重要影响,染料的自吸收是荧光峰及ASE峰产生红移的主要因素。     

Fiber-Optic Ammonia Sensors Utilizing Rectangular-Cladding Eccentric-Core Fiber

A new fiber-optic ammonia sensor utilizing rectangular-cladding eccentric-core fiber and a sensitive film containing an indicator dye is demonstrated. The sensitive film is a SiO₂-GeO₂ gel film including an indicator dye of bromocresol purple or bromocresol green, which is dip-coated by a sol-gel technique. The attenuation of this sensor changes depending on the concentration of ammonia at the wavelength range of 500–700 nm. This sensor can detect several ppm of gaseous ammonia. Various factors determining the sensitivity to detect the ammonia gas and time response of the sensor are also studied.     

A nano-porous TiO2 thin film coating method for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using electrostatic spraying with dye solution

The dye coloring process on a nano-porous TiO₂ thin film for DSSCs was studied using an electrostatic spraying (ESS) method. In this study, dye coating experiments were performed using homemade ESS equipment. The coating patterns on the TiO₂ thin film are changed by adjusting the applied voltages of the ESS system. The geometry of the coating patterns is observed by a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The TiO₂ thin film is fabricated by controlling the electric field which allows a uniform color distribution to be obtained with a high dyeing capacity. The colored TiO₂ thin films are compared with those obtained using a conventional immersed dye solution by means of an UV–vis spectrometer. The performance of this novel coloring process was confirmed by measuring I–V curve characteristics.     

Nonlinear optical properties of composites based on conductive metal-alkanoate liquid crystals

The dynamic holography in new composite materials based on a novel class of metal-alkanoate ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) is studied experimentally and theoretically. The composites are formed as a dielectric dye film covered by lyotropic metal-alkanoate ILC and ionic smectic glasses with doped dye molecules. The dynamic gratings are created by nanosecond pulses of double frequency Nd:YAP laser, the recording demonstrates fast erasure time of residual thermal gratings. The nonlinear optical properties are determined by the resonance nonlinearity in photosensitive centres of ILC. Note, that permanent relief gratings will be formed on a dielectric dye film only as well as in composite cells either with nematic LC or with polymers under action of pulsed laser radiation. Lyotropic ILC layer applied over the dye film provides the dynamic regime of grating recording in composite cells. We found a secondary thermal grating is much smaller, the conductive ILC matrix provides effective heat dissipation and erasure of this thermal grating. A theory of Raman-Nath self-diffraction holography on thin films followed from the wave equation and the nonlinear mechanism of absorption saturation is developed to explain experimental results.     

Third order nonlinear optical studies of bromocresol purple in liquid and solid media

The quest for materials exhibiting high nonlinear refraction and absorption are required for photonic device application. In this paper we report a simplified Z-scan technique, to study the optical nonlinearity of the dye bromocresol purple in methanol and ethanol for different concentration and dye doped polymer film at the wavelength 532 nm of Nd:YAG laser. The experimental results show that the investigated organic dye molecule exhibits saturation absorption and negative nonlinearity. The nonlinear absorption co-efficient and the nonlinear refractive index were measured for the dye doped film, and for dye in methanol and ethanol at the concentration of 0.03 mM and 0.05 mM. The measured third order susceptibility was found to be of the order of 10⁻⁶ e.s.u. in both solid and liquid medium. The result shows that the dye has potential applications in nonlinear optics.     

Violet-to-red photoluminescence of spiro-TAD organic films doped with different organic dyes

Photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of undoped spiro-TAD films and spiro-TAD films doped either by the organic dyes coumarin 7 or DCM as well as by both of these dyes simultaneously were investigated at different dye concentrations. A widened PL spectrum caused by doping was encountered and violet-to-red emission was obtained. It was established that excitation of the dyes is realized most efficiently through spiro-TAD. The overall integral PL intensity of the coumarin 7 doped films increased with dye concentration due to the suppression of nonradiative recombination in the film caused by a transfer of spiro-TAD excitation energy to the dye molecules. Mainly radiative energy transfer from semiconductor to dye molecules occurs in the case of DCM doping. No mutual influence on the luminescence of both dyes in the spiro-TAD film was observed and as a consequence, the PL band intensity of each dye can be adjusted separately.     

The nonlinear refraction sign turned to reverse by intercalating cresyl violent dye into layered titanate nanosheets

Solid-state dye-doped materials are an attractive alternative to conventional liquid dye solution. In this study, the spectral characteristics of dye cresyl violet before and after intercalating into layered titanate nanosheets and forming a nanohybrid thin film were investigated by measuring absorption and fluorescence spectra. In addition, their nonlinear optical properties were studied using single beam z-scan technique under irradiation of low power continuous wave (CW) produced by DPSS laser with a wavelength of 532 nm. The nonlinear studying results reveal that the dye cresyl violet in solution has a negative nonlinear refractive index, but it reverses to positive after the dye is intercalated into layered titanate nanosheets with a negative nonlinear refractive index forming CV/HTO nanohybrid thin film. This method can provide a way to turn to reverse nonlinear refraction sign of the materials.     

Angular emission profiles of dye molecules excited by surface plasmon waves at a metal surface

The angular distribution of fluorescence emission from dye molecules excited by surface plasmon waves in a silver film is reported. Coupling of the emitted fluorescence to a surface plasmon mode at the Stokes shifted wavelength results in a sharply peaked angular profile in the prism half space. Fresnel theory is used to model experimental results obtained for thick and thin sample dye films and for micron-size particles containing dye.     

Spectroscopic and lasing characterisation of a dicarbazovinylene-MEH-benzene dye

The dye 1,4-bis(9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-benzene (abbreviated 2CzV-MEH-B) dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and as neat film is characterised by optical absorption and emission spectroscopy. The absorption and stimulated emission cross-section spectra, the fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields, degrees of fluorescence polarisation, and fluorescence lifetimes are determined. A lasing characterisation is carried out by pumping with single second harmonic pulses of a mode-locked ruby laser (wavelength 347.15 nm, pulse duration 35 ps). The excited-state absorption at the pump laser wavelength is determined by saturable absorption measurements. Laser oscillation of the dye in THF in a rectangular cell is achieved by transverse pumping using the uncoated cell windows for light feedback. From the emission behaviour around threshold the excited-state absorption cross-section spectrum in the laser active spectral region is extracted. The wave-guided travelling-wave lasing behaviour of the dye as neat film is studied by analysis of the amplification of the transverse pumped spontaneous emission. Surface emitting distributed-feedback lasing was achieved with a neat film on corrugated second-order periodic gratings.     

Identification of dyes in toned and tinted XX century cinematographic films by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

In this paper some colored frames coming from the very popular cinematographic film Sardinian Drummer Boy, dating back to the beginning of the XX century, were analyzed. The presence in the emulsion of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are formed thanks to the impression–development mechanism, confers to the cinematographic film the characteristic of being an efficient Surface Enhancement Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrate. This peculiarity makes it possible to investigate, in a non‐invasive way, the nature of the film components, such as the dyes used for the coloring process. In particular, Raman analyses allowed the unambiguous identification of the dyes used in tinted frames, i.e. tartrazine and safranin, in which the colorant is absorbed by the gelatin, and in toned frames, i.e. Rhodamine B, where the dye is fixed thanks to the formation of an insoluble species with AgI obtained by conversion of metallic silver. This second case is of particular interest to evaluate the possibility to identify the dye even when it is present as a silver iodide derivative. For this purpose an AgI‐colorant derivative has been prepared and its SERS spectrum compared with that obtained on the film sheet. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

低阈值高效率新型晶体Nd:Sr5(PO4)3F腔内倍频研究

采用氙灯泵浦新型晶体Nd:Sr₅(PO₄)₃F,以KTP晶体腔内倍频,实现了该晶体0.5295μm绿光激光BDN染料片调Q运转。测量了输出绿光激光的特性及不同腔长和染料片小信号透过率情况下的输出能量及脉冲宽度,给出了染料片调Q腔内倍频的耦合波方程组,数值求解该方程组,所得的理论数据与实验结果较好地相符。     

Second harmonic generation from alternating langmuir-blodgett films

We report here the investigation of the second harmonic generation from a non-centrosymmetric alternating Langmuir-Blodgett film of ω-tricosenoic acid and highly polarisable merocyanine dye. Results for films containing one, two and three layers of the merocyanine dye are described.     

Fiber-optic chemical sensor of amine-type compounds

A scheme of a fiber chemical sensor of amine-type compounds has been implemented. The sensor includes a film nanostructure deposited on the end face of an optical fiber 600 μm in diameter. The film consists of luminescent silica nanoparticles modified by functional pyrylocyanine dye, silver nanoparticles, and a photonic crystal opal film. An additional coating of the sensor film from above by a porous selective mirror, such as a photonic crystal, and introduction of silver nanoparticles 5–7 nm in diameter into it make it possible to increase the sensor sensitivity by an order of magnitude.     

Fluorescence interference-contrast microscopy on oxidized silicon using a monomolecular dye layer

A silicon chip is covered by a monomolecular film of a fluorescence dye with silicon dioxide used as a spacer. The fluorescence depends on the distance of the dye from the silicon. The modulation of the intensity is described quantitatively by an optical theory which accounts for interference of the exciting light and of the emitted light. The effect is used to obtain a microscopic picture of the surface profile with a precision of a few Angströms. The perspectives for an application in wet systems such as neuron-silicon junctions and lipid membranes on silicon are pointed out.     

Vanadyl phthalocyanine: An organic material for optical data recording

Vanadyl Phthalocyanine (VOPc) is a stable organic dye which absorbs in the spectral range of currently available injection lasers. The applicability for high density optical storage of single, double and triple layer structures containing a thin film of this dye, is investigated. It is concluded that if VOPc is used in combination with a tellurium film, some power reduction relative to single Te films can be achieved.     

Novel phthalocyanine thin film for compact disc recordable

In this paper, the spin-coated thin films of phthalocyanine dye are presented. Absorption spectrum of the thin film shows a comparatively broad absorption in the wavelength range 630 - 770 nm. Optical parameters of the thin film were measured by a spectroscopic ellipsometer system. 5-in CD-R discs made of this dye exhibit good performance with Yamaha 20-speed recorder. Jitters of land and pit are less than 30 ns, and the 3T-11T's signals show very good quality. This dye is a promising recording medium for CD-R with much higher recording speed.