Two-photon absorption three-dimensional optical data storage with novel anthracene derivative

Abstract

ABSTRACT Anthracene derivative is one of the important two photon absorption materials. In this work, novel symmetric-type D-Œ-D anthracene derivative, 2, 6 - di- substituted anthracene chromophore with 4-methylstyrene has been synthesized via Heck reaction. The two-photon absorption (TPA) s uorescence emission property and TPA absorption coefficient are investigated by Sapphire femtosecond laser pulses at the wavelength of 800nm, repetition rate of 1 KHz and pulse width of 120fs, in an attempt to obtain the TPA cross-sections of this compound (1 film =695.8 h 10 –50 cm 4 s/photon). Finally, Three-dimensional (3D) optical data storage experiments are carried out and realized by two-photon absorption with 800nm-fs laser in the compound films. Keywords: Anthracene derivative, Two-photon absorption, 3D optical data storage 1. INTRODUCTION Longer conjugated molecules exhibiting large two-photon absorption (TPA) cross sections ( a ) have been receiving increasing attention owing to their potential applications in photosciences, such as three-dimensional (3D) optical data storage [1-4]. The achievable process of 3D high precision spatial control is that the 2PA is confined to the focus volume (voxel) in the TPA material, resulting in 2PA induced modulation of opt ical properties that is hi ghly localized within the focal volume. Secondly, the premise of the 3D optical data storage is that 2PA of laser light can be used to initiate photochemical processes that alter the local optical property of a material [5]. Consequently, numerous organic materials have been investigated experimentally and theoretically to draw conclusions in the structure–property relationship of molecules with TPA materials [6]. Recently, the utility of the anthr acene as a special and efficient i -center for the two-photon chromophores has been demonstrated by several groups [7]. The anthracene unit has two different ways to link in, 9, 10- or 2, 6- linkages, and to form two different conjugation pathways with two different quinoid characters. With appropriate modifications, the electronic and photonic properties of anthracen e-centered conjugated molecules are highly dependent on both the nature of the active building blocks and the way in which they are linked. In the current work, the synthesis and characterization of a symmetric-type anthracene derivative is reported, modifying 4-methylstyrene from the 2-position and 6-position of the bila teral anthracene unit via Heck reaction. The one photon absorption (OPA) spectra, fluorescence emission spectra, and fluorescence quantum yields are determined. The TPA prop erties of this anthracene derivative are studied by measuring the two-photon excited fluorescence and calculating TPA cross-sections of PMMA sample films by the Z-scan technology. Finally, the TPA mechanism and method ar e used for writing and retrieving data on anthracene derivative films in the 800nm-fs pulsed laser optical data storage system.