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2016 (English)In: Advanced Optical Materials, ISSN 2195-1071, Vol. 4, no 10, p. 1651-1656Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) nanofibers are 1D crystalline semiconducting nanostructures, which are known for their application in photovoltaics. Due to the internal arrangement, P3HT nanofibers possess optical anisotropy, which can be enhanced on a macroscale if nanofibers are aligned. Alternating electric field, applied to a solution with dispersed nanofibers, causes their alignment and serves as a method to produce solid layers with ordered nanofibers. The transmission ellipsometry measurements demonstrate the dichroic absorption and birefringence of ordered nanofibers in a wide spectral range of 400–1700 nm. Moreover, the length of nanofibers has a crucial impact on their degree of alignment. Using electric birefringence technique, it is shown that external electric field applied to the solution with P3HT nanofibers can cause direct birefringence modulation. Dynamic alignment of dispersed nanofibers changes the refractive index of the solution and, therefore, the polarization of transmitted light. A reversible reorientation of nanofibers is organized by using a quadrupole configuration of poling electrodes. With further development, the described method can be used in the area of active optical fiber components, lab-on-chip or sensors. It also reveals the potential of 1D conducting polymeric structures as objects whose highly anisotropic properties can be implemented in electro-optical applications.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-VCH Verlagsgesellschaft, 2016
Keywords
anisotropic optical materials, electrooptical materials, nanofibers, optical properties, polymers, Anisotropy, Birefringence, Electric fields, Optical anisotropy, Optical fibers, Refractive index, Alternating electric field, Electric birefringence, Electro-optical applications, External electric field, Quadrupole configuration, Semiconducting nanostructures, Transmission ellipsometry
National Category
Materials Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-195418 (URN)10.1002/adom.201600226 (DOI)000386356900026 ()2-s2.0-84979574389 (Scopus ID)
Note
QC 20161128
2016-11-282016-11-032025-03-06Bibliographically approved