Optical device including birefringent polymer

• US 4,525,413 A
• Filed: 04/18/1984
• Issued: 06/25/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Sahatjian, Ronald A., Gaudiana, Russell A., Rogers, Howard G., Bilofsky, Ruth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ives, Patricia C.
• Application Number:
  US06/601,579
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 428/918, 428/212, 428/913, 428/910, 428/411.1
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/08 made of polarising materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/305 including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/91 Product with molecular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/918 Material abnormally transparent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 Addition polymer is perhalogenated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31649 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31736 Next to polyester
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3179 Next to cellulosic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

Optical devices including a molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer are disclosed. The devices include molecularly oriented polymers comprising recurring units which exhibit a distribution of high electron density about the long axes of the polymer and the recurring units thereof. Transparent birefringent polymers comprising a plurality of recurring units having a substantially cylindrical distribution of electron density about the long axis of such units and the chain-extended polymers are included in optical devices and articles. The polymers exhibit high birefringence and simulate in a polymer the optical properties of a uniaxial crystal.

Claims

1. A multilayer light-transmitting device comprising, in assembled bonded relation:

a layer of transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer comprising repeating molecular units exhibiting high electron density substantially cylindrically distributed about the long axes of the polymer material and the repeating units thereof, said highly birefringent polymer exhibiting a birefringence in relation to the molecular configuration of said repeating molecular units and the cylindrical or ellipsoidal electron density distribution about said axes, said birefringence being in relation to said molecular configuration and said electron density distribution according to a diminsionless geometric index G represented by the relationship ##EQU10## wherein E is a dimensionless eccentricity factor defined by the relationship ##EQU11## where e_L is the longitudinal eccentricity of the electron polarizability of the repeating molecular unit and e_T is the transverse eccentricity of the polarizability of the repeating molecular unit, L is the length of the repeating molecular unit along the main axis thereof and D is the mean diameter of the repeating molecular unit;

said repeating molecular units of said birefringent polymer exhibiting a geometric index G of about 0.5 or higher;

said multilayer light-transmitting device including at least one additional transparent layer having an index of refraction substantially matching one index of refraction of said layer of transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymeric material and comprising isotropic or birefringent material;

said at least one additional transparent layer, when a layer of birefringent material, having one index of refraction thereof substantially different from one index of refraction of said layer of transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer and having a molecular orientation substantially perpendicular to the molecular orientation of said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer.

2. The multilayer light-transmitting device of claim 1 wherein the repeating molecular units of said birefringent polymer exhibit a geometric index G of one or higher.

3. The multilayer light-transmitting device of claim 1 wherein said layer of transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer is bonded to a transparent layer having an index of refraction substantially matching one index of refraction of said transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer.

4. The multilayer light-transmitting device of claim 1 wherein said layer of transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer is bonded between two transparent layers, one transparent layer having an index of refraction substantially matching the lower index of refraction of said transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer.

5. The multilayer light-transmitting device of claim 4 wherein one of said two transparent layers has an index of refraction substantially matching the lower index of refraction of said transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymeric material and the second of said two transparent layers has an index of refraction substantially matching the higher index of refraction of said transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer.

6. The multilayer light-transmitting device of claim 1 comprising an alternating arrangement of a plurality of layers of said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer and a plurality of said additional transparent layers, each said additional transparent layer having an index of refraction substantially matching one of the two indices of refraction of each said layer of said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer.

7. The multilayer device of claim 6 wherein each said additional transparent layer is isotropic.

8. The multilayer device of claim 1 wherein said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer comprises recurring units of the formula ##STR68## wherein each of A and B is a divalent radical except that B can additionally represent a single bond;

R and R¹ are each hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl; and

c is zero of one; and

wherein, when c is one, at least one of A and B is a divalent radical selected from the group consisting of;

(1) a radical ##STR69## where U is a substituent other than hydrogen, each W is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen, p is an integer from 1 to 3, each x is hydrogen or a substitutent other than hydrogen and r is an integer from 1 to 4, said U, wp and Xr substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration; and

(2) a radical ##STR70## where each of Y and Z is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen and each t is an integer from 1 to 4, with the proviso that when each said Z is hydrogen, at least one said Y substituent is a substituent other than hydrogen positioned on the corresponding nucleus ortho with respect to the ##STR71## moiety of said radical, said Z and Yt substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration; and

wherein, when c is zero, A is a divalent radical selected from the group consisting of radicals (1) and (2) as hereinbefore defined.

9. The multilayer device of claim 8 wherein c of said recurring units is the integer one.

10. The multilayer device of claim 9 wherein said divalent radical A is a radical having the formula ##STR72## wherein each of U and X is a substituent other than hydrogen, and said divalent radical B is a radical having the formula ##STR73## wherein U is a substituent other than hydrogen, each W is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen, p is an integer from 1 to 3, each X is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen and r is an integer from 1 to 4, said U, Wp and Xr substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration.

11. The multilayer device of claim 10 wherein, in said radical A, each of said U and X substituents is halogen;

and wherein, in said radical B, p is the integer one, r is the integer two and each X substituent is selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkoxy and substituted-alkyl.

12. The multilayer device of claim 11 wherein each said X substituent is trifluoromethyl.

13. The multilayer device of claim 9 wherein said divalent radical A is the radical having the formula ##STR74## and said divalent radical B is a substituted-quaterphenylene radical having the formula ##STR75## wherein each U is a substituent other than hydrogen, each W is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen, each p is an integer from 1 to 3, each X is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen and each r is an integer from 1 to 4, said U, Wp and Xr substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration.

14. The multilayer device of claim 13 wherein said divalent radical B is a substituted-quaterphenylene radical having the formula ##STR76## wherein each of U and X is a substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, nitro, alkoxy and trifluoromethyl.

15. The multilayer device of claim 14 wherein each of said U and X substituents is trifluoromethyl.

16. The multilayer device of claim 9 wherein said divalent radical A is the radical having the formula ##STR77## and said divalent radical B is a substituted-quaterphenylene radical having the formula ##STR78## wherein each U is a substituent other than hydrogen, each W is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen, each p is an integer from 1 to 3, each X is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen and each r is an integer from 1 to 4, said U, W_p and X_r substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration.

17. The multilayer device of claim 16 wherein said divalent radical B is a substituted-quaterphenylene radical having the formula ##STR79## wherein each of U and X is a substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, nitro, alkoxy and trifluoromethyl.

18. The multilayer device of claim 17 wherein each of said U and X substituents is trifluoromethyl.

19. The multilayer device of claim 1 wherein said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer exhibits a birefringence of at least about 0.2.

20. The multilayer device of claim 19 wherein said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer exhibits a birefringence of at least 0.4.