Abstract

Optically active composite materials, which are a combination of two different phases with different optical and mechanical properties - for example, a polymer matrix with embedded active nanocrystallites, may enable designing and development of an entirely new class of light sources, combining advantages of small size, low price and excellent optical and mechanical properties. Such a materials can be widely applied in modern optical telecommunications systems (e.g. LANs based on polymer fibers), integrated optoelectronics, optical information processing and many others. The first reports of research on active nanocrystallites doped with rare earth ions dispersed in liquid polymer matrix can be find in R.S. Meltzer works from 2001 [1] and J.W. Stouwdam group papers [2]. The work of the latter team resulted in construction of the planar amplifier based on PMMA doped with Nd³⁺:LaF₃ [3]. In the following years luminescent properties of polymer composites doped with active nanocrystallites were studied, among others, by teams of Kumar [4], Gruber [5], Boyer [6] and Piramidowicz [7]. These results (which are the achievements of only a few research groups working intensively in the last few years on active composite materials) shows that nanoparticle-polymer composites combine the advantages of both polymers (good processability and good mechanical properties) and inorganic luminescent materials (high luminescence efficiency and long-term chemical stability) which may enable development of the new generation of optical materials.

© 2013 IEEE