Investigation of the nonlinear optical properties of sodium alginate-grafted-poly(3-aminophenol)/metal–organic framework nanocomposite: Possible application in all-optical switching

Abstract

A nanocomposite composed of sodium alginate-grafted-poly(3-aminophenol) and a metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized, and its optical properties were investigated using the spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) technique. The nanocomposite was fabricated by the in-situ copolymerization method from sodium alginate and 3-aminophenol in the presence of MOF and characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDX. The research focuses on nanocomposite potential for all-optical switching. To improve ring quality, we studied the main material (sodium alginate-grafted-poly(3-aminophenol) and MOF(Fe)) at different concentrations (0.001, 0.002, and 0.003 g/L) during the synthesis process. We found that better dispersion and a balanced concentration significantly enhanced the ring quality. Adding MOF nanoparticles also improved the results, even when they weren't produced separately. Using the SSPM setup, we successfully tested the material for all-optical switching. Comparing the linear and nonlinear optical results showed good consistency. The nonlinear refractive index of the nanocomposite at a concentration of 0.002 g/L was 3.55×10⁻¹³ m²/W, while the sodium alginate-grafted-poly(3-aminophenol) alone was 1.56×10⁻¹³ m²/W at the same concentration.

Keywords

• Nonlinear optics
• Spatial self-phase modulation
• Polymer-based nanocomposites
• All-optical switching
• Metal-organic framework