This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Project is to synthesize a series of new conjugated polymers as active materials for solid state polymer lasers. Recent efforts to make diode lasers from semiconducting polymers are hindered by limitations to net gain, which include photoinduced absorption (PA), concentration quenching and self-absorption. Dilute blends of conjugated polymers, the subject of this proposal, can solve these problems through Forster energy transfer. We are going to synthesize a series of alkoxyphenyl-PPV and alkylphenyl-PPV as the host polymer to demonstrate and develop conjugated polymer blends as high gain/low loss laser materials and to optimize the Forster energy transfer from host to guest. Successful completion of the project will provide polymers with properties of higher molecular weight and good solubility, high photoluminescence efficiency, good compatibility and maximum spectra overlap with the guest polymers. Subsequently, in Phase II, photo-pumped stimulated emission will be used to guide the fabrication of the electrical pumped laser devices. The research will make an important contribution to development of efficient, robust materials providing light weight, low power addressable arrays of light sources for a broad range of applications from simple alphanumeric displays to high information content flat panel displays.
