Dervil Cody

New non-toxic holographic photopolymer material

There is an increasing need for environmentally friendly holographic recording materials which can be produced in bulk with little risk to the health of workers in manufacturing. This is why the development of non-toxic photopolymer materials is crucial, and has attracted attention in recent years. The composition and preliminary characterization of a new non-toxic photopolymer material are presented. It operates well at a range of spatial frequencies, and achieves diffraction efficiencies and refractive index modulation comparable to those of the known acrylamide-based photopolymers.

Effect of glycerol on a diacetone acrylamide-based holographic photopolymer material

The composition of the low-toxicity, environmentally compatible diacetone acrylamide (DA) photopolymer has been modified with the inclusion of different additives. The addition of glycerol to the photopolymer composition is described. Results show that the incorporation of glycerol results in a uniform maximum refractive-index modulation for recording intensities in the range of 1-20 mW/cm(2). This may be attributed to glycerols nature as a plasticizer, which allows for faster diffusion of an unreacted monomer within the grating during holographic recording. An optimum recording intensity of 0.5 mW/cm(2) is observed for exposure energies of 20-60 mW/cm(2). The modified photopolymer achieves a refractive-index modulation of 2.2×10(-3), with diffraction efficiencies up to 90% in 100 μm layers. Glycerol has also shown to reduce the rate of photobleaching of the DA photopolymer. This is possibly due to more prevalent inhibition effects caused by increased oxygenation of the photopolymer layers. The stability of the photopolymer samples is also improved with the addition of glycerol.

A Comparative Cytotoxic Evaluation of Acrylamide and Diacetone Acrylamide to Investigate Their Suitability for Holographic Photopolymer Formulations

The comparative cytotoxic evaluation of two monomers, diacetone acrylamide (DA) and acrylamide (AA) used in holographic photopolymer formulations, is reported. Two normal cell lines were used: BEAS-2B and HaCaT. Cellular viability was assessed using the MTT assay for three different exposure times. A difference of two orders of magnitude is observed in the lethal dose (LD50) concentrations of the two monomers. Diacetone acrylamide exhibits a significantly lower toxicity profile in comparison to acrylamide at all exposure times. This result justifies the replacement of acrylamide with diacetone acrylamide in the photopolymer formulation, with the view to reducing occupational hazard risks for large-scale holographic device fabrication. A comparative study investigating the holographic recording ability of the two photopolymers in transmission mode showed that the DA photopolymer is capable of reaching refractive index modulation values of 3.3 × 10 −3 , which is 80% of the refractive index modulation achieved by the AA photopolymer. This makes the DA-based photopolymers suitable for a wide range of applications.

Low-Toxicity Photopolymer for Reflection Holography

A novel composition for a low-toxicity, water-soluble, holographic photopolymer capable of recording bright reflection gratings with diffraction efficiency of up to 50% is reported. The unique combination of two chemical components, namely, a chain transfer agent and a free radical scavenger, is reported to enhance the holographic recording ability of a diacetone acrylamide (DA)-based photopolymer in reflection mode by 3-fold. Characterization of the dependence of diffraction efficiency of the reflection gratings on spatial frequency, recording intensity, exposure energy, and recording wavelength has been carried out for the new low-toxicity material. The use of UV postexposure as a method of improving the stability of the photopolymer-based reflection holograms is reported. The ability of the modified DA photopolymer to record bright Denisyuk holograms which are viewable in different lighting conditions is demonstrated.

Photonic Materials for Holographic Sensing

Holography is a practical approach to fabricating optical sensors for applications in the detection of chemical analytes and physical changes. Holographic sensors incorporate diffraction gratings within functionalized polymers or natural organic polymer matrices, that allow indirect optical measurements of physical and chemical stimuli. The advantages of holographic sensors over other optical sensors are the ability to produce three-dimensional (3D) images and amenability to mass manufacturing at low-cost. The aim of this chapter is to (1) describe the principle of operation of holographic sensors (2) describe the holographic recording techniques used for their fabrication (3) discuss approaches to preparing recording media and overview strategies of their functionalization in order to obtain stimuli responsive devices, and (4) highlight emerging applications in environmental sensing and point-of-care diagnostics. Particular emphasis is put on the photonic materials used for holographic sensors recording and the different approaches used for their functionalization with the view of how this can be used to improve sensors sensitivity, selectivity and response time. The main challenges in holographic sensors research and possible solutions to these challenges are outlined.

Research on Holographic Sensors and Novel Photopolymers at the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics

The recent resurgence of interest in photopolymers for commercial holograms is a strong incentive for development of photopolymers that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Photopolymer materials consist of a light-sensitive film which is exposed during production to form the hologram, thereby offering versatility well beyond that of current security holograms, which are mass produced from a master using a foil stamping processes.

Diacetone acrylamide-based non-toxic holographic photopolymer

A new low-toxicity diacetone acrylamide-based photopolymer is developed and characterized. The environmentallycompatible photopolymer has been modified with the inclusion of glycerol. The incorporation of glycerol results in a uniform maximum refractive index modulation for recording intensities in the range of 1-20 mW/cm2. This may be attributed to glycerols nature as a plasticizer, which allows for faster diffusion of un-reacted monomer within the grating during holographic recording. An optimum recording intensity of 0.5 mW/cm2 is observed for exposure energies of 20- 60 mW/cm2. The modified photopolymer achieves a refractive index modulation of 2.2×10-3, with diffraction efficiencies up to 90 % in 100 μm layers. The photopolymer layers containing glycerol have improved stability and optical quality.

Theoretical Modelling and Design of Photonic Structures in Zeolite Nanocomposites for Gas Sensing: Part I - Surface Relief Gratings

The suitability of holographic structures fabricated in zeolite nanoparticle-polymer composite materials for gas sensing applications has been investigated. Theoretical modeling of the sensor response (i.e., change in hologram readout due to a change in refractive index modulation or thickness as a result of gas adsorption) of different sensor designs was carried out using Raman-Nath theory and Kogelniks coupled wave theory. The influence of a range of parameters on the sensor response of holographically recorded surface and volume photonic grating structures has been studied, namely the phase difference between the diffracted and probe beam introduced by the grating, grating geometry, thickness, spatial frequency, reconstruction wavelength, and zeolite nanoparticle refractive index. From this, the optimum fabrication conditions for both surface and volume holographic gas sensor designs have been identified. Here, in part I, results from theoretical modeling of the influence of design on the sensor response of holographically inscribed surface relief structures for gas sensing applications is reported.

Theoretical modeling and design of photonic structures in zeolite nanocomposites for gas sensing. Part II: volume gratings

The suitability of holographic structures fabricated in zeolite nanoparticle-polymer composite materials for gas sensing applications has been investigated. Theoretical modeling of the sensor response (i.e., change in hologram readout due to a change in refractive index modulation or thickness as a result of gas adsorption) of different sensor designs was carried out using the Raman-Nath theory and Kogelniks coupled wave theory. The influence of a range of parameters on the sensitivity of holographically recorded surface and volume photonic structures has been studied, namely, hologram geometry, hologram thickness and spatial frequency, reconstruction wavelength, and zeolite nanoparticle refractive index. From this, the optimum fabrication conditions for both surface and volume holographic gas sensor designs have been identified. Here in Part II, results from modeling of the influence of design on the sensor response of holographically recorded volume grating structures for gas sensing applications are reported.

Serialized holography for brand protection and authentication

The problems presented by counterfeit products and documentation are discussed. Limitations of existing holograms for anti-counterfeit applications are described. We describe the advantages of full holographic serialization and the requirements in terms of materials and techniques for mass production of true serialized holograms. These requirements having been met, we report for the first time the mass production of fully serialized holograms. The novelty of the approach consists of the direct use of the product manufacturers information as the object in a holographic recording system along with a self-processing photopolymer and modular optical system to facilitate mass production of truly serialized volume holograms. Various types of serialized holograms for overt and covert authentication are described. We discuss briefly the application of Optraces manufacturing methods for future generation holographic devices.