Guest-host optical limiting elastomers with high laser damage threshold

We report the results of the laser damage threshold of an undoped optical grade epoxy elastomer and compare its performance to that of an epoxy glassy thermoset and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) thermoplastic. Tests were performed in a tight focus, f/5 geometry, with 7 ns pulses at 532 nm. The elastomer exhibits a damage threshold more than 600 times greater than its glassy thermosetting analog and over 20 times greater than PMMA. We describe the importance that thermomechanical properties have on improving laser damage resistance in organic polymers. Optical limiting experiments are performed with matrices doped with silicon naphthalocyanine and zinc octabromotetraphenyl porphyrin as the chromophores. We demonstrate the advantage of using an elastic matrix to improve the performance of solid-state organic optical limiters.