MULTIPHASIC NANOSTRUCTURED COMPOSITES FOR PHOTONICS - FULLERENE-DOPEDMONOLITH GLASS

We present the preparation of novel multifunctional nanostructured com posite materials using the sol-gel process. We have demonstrated the d oping of two optical limiting organic molecules (C-60 and bisbenzothia zole 3,4-didecyloxythiophene (BBTDOT)) in a single bulk while maintain ed the optical limiting effect at each of their characteristic wavelen gths. A multiphasic composite glass doped with both C-60 and BBTDOT ex hibited effective optical power limiting at 532 and 800 nm due to inde pendent limiting effects at each wavelength generated by each of the t wo dopants. These composite glasses have excellent optical quality (lo ss approximate to 1 dB/m) and a large bulk size. By using our methodol ogy, it is possible to dope two (or more) different optically responsi ve materials, each of which will reside in different phases of the mat rix to make multifunctional nanostructured bulk materials for photonic applications.