Modified polymethylmethacrylate as a base for thermostable optical recording media

Abstract

A possibility to improve the thermal properties of holographic gratings in a photosensitive system based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and to enhance simultaneously the adhesion of the photopolymer to soda-lime glass is demonstrated. The modified PMMA was prepared by radical copolymerisation of methylmethacrylate (MMA) with acrylic acid (AA). Polymer films deposited from samples of the copolymer of MMA with AA containing 9,10-phenanthrenequinone additives were used as a photosensitive material for the recording of holographic gratings. It is possible to generate gratings that are thermally stable up to 200 masculineC using this modified PMMA. Dynamic thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis and thermal mechanic analyses were used to determine the dependence of the thermal stability of the modified PMMA on the composition and the structure of its macromolecules.

Study on holographic characteristics in ZnMA doped PQ-PMMA photopolymer

“…Among these organic materials, phenanthrenequinone (PQ) doped poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) photopolymer has attracted much attention due to its neglectable shrinkage, large refractive index modulation, high thickness, et. al [7][8][9][10][11]. However, low photosensitivity and small dynamic range are the main shortages for its holography application [12,13].…”

A Review of the Optimisation of Photopolymer Materials for Holographic Data Storage

“…Increased material sensitivities, resolutions, diffraction efficiencies, and material stabilities have been reported. Such improvements include (i) two-photon absorption techniques to store and retrieve information in the volume of the material layer [58]; (ii) the introduction of nanoparticles to reduce polymerisation shrinkage [35]; (iii) the introduction of thermally curable matrix networks suitable for mass production [32,98]; (iv) the introduction of chain transfer agents to improve the high spatial frequency performance of the materials [67,99,100]; (v) the introduction of quantum dots to improve the materials' refractive index modulation and fluorescence [58,76]; (vi) the introduction of PMMAbased photopolymer materials to increase the thermal stability [59]. Clearly many promising materials, providing high storage capacities, are being developed for the next generation optical data storage media.…”

“…Krul et al [59] modified a photosensitive system based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) by the additions of radical copolymerisation of methylmethacrylate (MMA) with acrylic acid (AA). This enhanced the adhesion to soda-lime glass substrate, thus also improving the heat and thermal stability of the resulting holographic gratings.…”

“…In 2008, Matusevich et al [63] further developed the material reported in [59] to investigate the contribution of the absorption and phase gratings to the total diffraction efficiency of volume holographic gratings, written in glasslike polymer recording materials, based on poly(methylmethacrylate) and a thermostable derivative (copolymer with acrylic acid) with distributed phenanthrenequinone (PQ-PMMA). Absorption by the recording media decreased following illumination and increased by heating.…”

Recent advances in holographic data storage

“…Increased material sensitivities, resolutions, diffraction efficiencies, and material stabilities have been reported [62]. Such improvements include: 1) two-photon absorption techniques to store and retrieve information in the volume of the material layer [63]; 2) the introduction of nanoparticles to reduce polymerisation shrinkage [64]; 3) the introduction of thermally curable matrix networks suitable for mass production [65,66]; 4) the introduction of chain transfer agents to improve the high spatial frequency performance of the materials [67,68]; 5) the introduction of quantum dots to improve the materials' refractive index modulation and fluorescence [63,69]; 6) the introduction of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) based photopolymer materials to increase the thermal stability [70]. Clearly many promising materials, providing high storage capacities, are being developed for HDS media.…”