There is an ongoing critical discussion about whether long-term durability of polymer optics can be guaranteed after passing accelerated tests, as the degradation mechanisms are very complex. Thick scratch resistant antireflective coatings AR-hard and antireflective nanostructured coatings AR-plas had been developed several years ago. The polymer substrates are exposed to plasma emissions and ion bombardment both during coating and structuring. On the other hand, cycloolefin-based polymers may undergo structural changes induced by plasma. For the present study, it was possible to re-examine coated samples a long time after their production. Various AR coatings and different cyclic olefin polymers were re-evaluated in terms of their optical properties and coating adhesion.
The paper discusses requirements and solutions for antireflection coatings applicable for a fused silica cell which is attended to manipulate Rydberg atoms as qubits. Multiple laser beams at various wavelengths and light incidence angles pass the different window areas of the cell. AR-coatings were designed and deposited on the window areas to receive an optimal solution for each of the lasers. Some of the coatings optimized for the internal surfaces of the cell contain nanostructured layers as an option to improve the polarization properties at higher light incidence angles. Cleaning, handling and outgassing of these layers was investigated in particular.
Transparent polymers play a major role as materials for precision optics and optoelectronics. Transmissive optical surfaces need antireflection properties to avoid reflection losses and ghost images. As an alternative to common AR interference coatings, AR-nanostructures can be etched directly into the polymer surfaces and another structure can be added on top. The double-nanostructured surfaces provide low reflectance in a broad wavelength range for normal and oblique light incidence. Excellent AR-properties combined with a high thermal stability are demonstrated on imprinted epoxy-based micro-lenses.
Transparent thermoplastic polymers are widely used as materials for precision optical lenses as well as for sensing and lighting. The advantages of transparent polymers for optical parts are significant weight reduction, high impact strength, molding options and cost saving mass-production. Antireflection (AR) coatings are essential to improve transmission and contrast of lenses, windows and display covers. Polymer-capable coating conditions must be investigated for each type of polymer because of the varying chemical and physical properties of optical polymers. A presently well-established coating technology for plastics is plasma ion-assisted deposition (Plasma-IAD). It enables the coating deposition at low temperature as well as low-energy plasma conditions and ion bombardment to tailor the optical and mechanical properties of oxide layers. A good understanding of complex interactions of polymer surfaces with plasma and high-energetic radiation is a key factor to achieve polymer optics with high-end AR-properties and long-time durability. The Aim of this study is to evaluate and to understand the surface properties of polymers which are relevant for the deposition of optical coatings and for its later application. The investigation is focused primarily on the new polymer types APEL, Iupizita EP and OKP. They are compared with the long-established materials such as polycarbonate (Makrolon) and ZeonexE48R. The optical properties of the polymers are systematically studied including the influence of aging caused by UV-irradiation, humidity and heat. In addition, properties like surface hardness, water absorption and thermal stability are compared and discussed. Different pre-treatments and designs are considered to bond multilayer AR systems to surfaces with high adhesive strength. In addition, plasma-etching technology AR-plas is applied to achieve AR properties for the visible spectral range (VIS).
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