California Institute of Technology

The University of Arizona

Arizona Board of Regents, a Body Corporate

Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Siros Technologies, Inc.

Joseph W Perry

Seth R Marder

Brian H Cumpston

Matthew Lipson

Francesco Stellacci

Joshua N Haddock

Simon Christopher Jones

Bernard Kippelen

Benoit Domercq

J Kevin Cammack

Peter J Hotchkiss

Xiaohong Zhang

Wenhui Zhou

Stephen M Kuebler

Philoseok Kim

Allan Gottsche

Brian Cumptson

Continuous, conducting metal patterns can be formed from metal nanoparticle containing films by exposure to radiation (FIG.). The metal patterns can be one, two, or three dimensional and have high resolution resulting in feature sizes in the order of micron down to nanometers Compositions containing the nanoparticles coated with a ligand and further including a dye, a metal salt, and either a matrix or an optional sacrificial donor are also disclosed.

Method for patterning metal using nanoparticle containing precursors

Disclosed are highly efficient multiphoton absorbing compounds and methods of their use. The compounds generally include a bridge of pi-conjugated bonds connecting electron donating groups or electron accepting groups. The bridge may be substituted with a variety of substituents as well. Solubility, lipophilicity, absorption maxima and other characteristics of the compounds may be tailored by changing the electron donating groups or electron accepting groups, the substituents attached to or the length of the pi-conjugated bridge. Numerous photophysical and photochemical methods are enabled by converting these compounds to electronically excited states upon simultaneous absorption of at least two photons of radiation. The compounds have large two-photon or higher-order absorptivities such that upon absorption, one or more Lewis acidic species, Lewis basic species, radical species or ionic species are formed.

Two-photon or higher-order absorbing optical materials for generation of reactive species

Disclosed are embodiments of organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) with a gate insulator layer comprised of nanocomposites incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles coated by organic ligands and methods of fabricating such OTFTs. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Printable thin-film transistors with high dielectric constant gate insulators and methods for producing same

Compositions capable of simultaneous two-photon absorption and higher order absorptivities are provided. Compounds having a donor-pi-donor or acceptor-pi-acceptor structure are of particular interest, where the donor is an electron donating group, acceptor is an electron accepting group, and pi is a pi bridge linking the donor and/or acceptor groups. The pi bridge may additionally be substituted with electron donating or withdrawing groups to alter the absorptive wavelength of the structure. Also disclosed are methods of generating an excited state of such compounds through optical stimulation with light using simultaneous absorption of photons of energies individually insufficient to achieve an excited state of the compound, but capable of doing so upon simultaneous absorption of two or more such photons. Applications employing such methods are also provided, including controlled polymerization achieved through focusing of the light source(s) used.

Two-photon or higher-order absorbing optical materials and methods of use

The present invention provides compounds and compositions, which include: at least one chromophore having strong simultaneous two-photon or multi-photon absorptivity; at least one acid- or radical-generator in close proximity to the chromophore; such that the single- or multi-photon excitation of the chromophore results in the generation of an acid and/or redical that is capable of activating chemistry; and such that compositions of matter based on the componds and compositions of the invention can be photo-patterned by one- or multiphoton excitation.

Materials, methods, and uses for photochemical generation of acids and/or radical species

Continuous, conducting metal patterns can be formed from metal nanoparticle containing films by exposure to radiation (). The metal patterns can be one, two, or three dimensional and have high resolution resulting in feature sizes in the order of micron down to nanometers. Compositions containing the nanoparticles coated with a ligand and further including a dye, a metal salt, and either a matrix or an optional sacrificial donor are also disclosed.

The present invention comprises an optical data storage system utilizing a host material and molecules that exhibit non-linear absorption dissolved therein. The non-linear absorbing molecules allow for energy in the form of heat to be generated during the optical data storage process. This heat provides for localized alterations to occur in the pre-formatted holographic grating. The non-linear feature of these molecules allow for alterations to occur at specific depths and locations within the storage medium while limiting the secondary effects on other locations within the storage medium. The molecules exhibiting non-linear absorption may be selected from the group of molecules exhibiting two-photon absorption or reverse saturable absorption. The invention also comprises a method for preparing the optical storage medium, an optical data storage device comprising the optical data storage medium and having a format hologram stored within the medium. Additionally, the invention comprises an optical data storage system and method for use thereof wherein the storage system uses the optical data storage medium described above when altering a pre-formatted holographic grating in a localized region by non-linear thermal disruption of the grating. Another embodiment of the present invention comprises an optical data retrieval system embodying the optical data storage device described above and a method for retrieving the format hologram stored on the optical data storage device of the present invention.

Method and apparatus for optical data storage using non-linear heating by excited state absorption for the alteration of pre-formatted holographic gratings

Compositions capable of simultaneous two-photon absorption and higher order absorptivities are disclosed. Many of these compositions are compounds satisfying the formulae D-&Pi;-D, A-&Pi;-A, D-A-D and A-D-A, wherein D is an electron donor group, A is an electron acceptor group and &Pi; comprises a bridge of &pgr;-conjugated bonds connecting the electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups. In A-D-A and D-A-D compounds, the &pgr; bridge is substituted with electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups, respectively. Also disclosed are methods that generate an electronically excited state of a compound, including those satisfying one of these formulae. The electronically excited state is achieved in a method that includes irradiating the compound with light. Then, the compound is converted to a multi-photon electronically excited state upon simultaneous absorption of at least two photons of light. The sum of the energies of all of the absorbed photons is greater than or equal to the transition energy from a ground state of the compound to the multi-photon excited state. The energy of each absorbed photon is less than the transition energy between the ground state and the lowest single-photon excited state of the compound is less than the transition energy between the multi-photon excited state and the ground state.

An optical voltage sensor utilizing an electrooptic polymer is disclosed for application to electric power distribution systems. The sensor, which can be manufactured at low cost in accordance with a disclosed method, measures voltages across a greater range than prior art sensors. The electrooptic polymer, which replaces the optical crystal used in prior art sensors, is sandwiched directly between two high voltage electrodes. Voltage is measured by fiber optical means, and no voltage division is required. The sample of electrooptic polymer is fabricated in a special mold and later mounted in a sensor housing. Alternatively, mold and sensor housing may be identical. The sensor housing is made out of a machinable polymeric material and is equipped with two opposing optical windows. The optical windows are mounted in the bottom of machined holes in the wall of the mold. These holes provide for mounting of the polarizing optical components and for mounting of the fiber optic connectors. One connecting fiber is equipped with a light emitting diode as a light source. Another connecting fiber is equipped with a photodiode as a detector.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Joseph W Perry