The Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies „Acad. J. Malinowski” develops methods and technologies for optical applications and flexible transparent electronics. Intensive work is focused on creation of novel materials and registration systems for ecology, biomedicine, food industry, non-destructive testing and cultural heritage protection. Examination of the interaction of condensed matter with various types of radiation - microwave, X-ray, electron, ion, laser and light from UV to the visible part of the spectrum, is subject of constant scientific interest.
Innovative products for industrial application in the field of sensor technique, organic optoelectronics, renewable energy sources and biomedical engineering are under development. Research is carried out on optical recording of information, diffraction optics, holography and optical metrology. Research activities conducted in IOMT are in two main departments.
Department "OPTICAL MATERIALS"
The scientific direction covers interdisciplinary research in organic optoelectronics, sensor technology, photonics and nonlinear optics.
The ongoing research is carried out in two laboratories:
Laboratory "Optical Transducer Elements"
Organic light emitting diodes (OLED) and photovoltaic cells based on multilayer organic/inorganic systems are under development. Methods for thin films deposition in vacuum or by solution casting of new synthesized fluorescent and phosphorescent compounds, metal phtalocyanines and other low molecular weight organic semiconductors for development of OLED and organic solar cells are applying and optimizing. Synthesis and characterization of new organic emitters (predominantly in the blue spectral region), as well as fluorescent and phosphorescent dopants ( in blue and red region of the spectrum) with high quantum yield are performing for development of white OLED with promising characteristics.
Simultaneously, new electron donors based on soluble dyes, absorbing in visible and NIR region for producing of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells are under development. Various modern methods are applied for characterization and estimation of the efficiency of both kinds optical transducer optical elements. Computer programs for optical and electrical modeling as well as methodologies for precise measurements of mobility and life time of charge carriers, determination of HOMO and LUMO levels in the electronic structure of the investigated organic materials, etc., are being created.
Laboratory "Composite and nano-structured materials"
IOMT develops materials and structures for photonics and non-linear optics, plasmonics, sensor applications and for producing different active and passive optical elements. Various chalcogenide glasses are synthesized and deposited in the form of thin films, followed by investigation of photo- and thermally induced changes of their physical properties.
New oxi-chalcogenides, sol-gel oxide-zeolite composites, mesoporous metal oxides as well as meta- and 2D materials are produced and characterized. Photonic structures for optical sensing on the basis of hybrid organic/inorganic and photoconductive inorganic materials/high birefrigent liquid crystals devices are under development.
Department "HOLOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL METROLOGY"
The scientific direction includes investigations in the fields of optical metrology, digital, imaging and polarization holography.
The activities are carried out in two laboratories:
Laboratory "Optical metrology"
In the field of optical metrology and digital holography the work is focused on development of profilometry with coherent and incoherent irradiation, dynamic speckle metrology and numerical methods for digital holographic systems. Methods for remote determination of the shape and 3D visualization of micro/macro objects, including transparent ones, are under development. The profilometric data obtained are the base for holograms computer generation.
Work on optical restoring of objects by decoding their holograms and transfer the data to the spatial-light modulator is performed. Dynamic speckle images are recorded in order to achieve contactless detection and visualization of physical or biological activity in a variety of objects by using statistical description of the dynamics of laser speckle on their surface.
Laboratory "Holography"
In the field of art holography several tasks are being solved for creation of 3D holographic display, computer holograms generation as well as development of holographic optical elements. Methods for fast computer generation of holograms for color holographic printer with recording of the light wave front on silver halogenide emulsion. Active work is being performed in the field of analog monochrome and color holographic recording. Art holograms of unique artifacts of the cultural and historical heritage are being prepared and holographic exhibitions are organized.
In the field of polarization holography photoanyzotropic nano-composite layers based on azo-polymers, containing nano particles as dopants are under development. Holographic polarization gratings, including those with a surface relief, for application as diffractive optical elements with unique polarization properties are being recorded. After metallization these gratings are used for investigation of plasmon-polariton resonance phenomena. Studying of photoinduced chiral structures in anisotropic materials under irradiation with elliptically polarized light are also performed for possible application as purely optical switches.
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies
