Laser ablation of conjugated polymers

The debris from laser ablation of conjugated polymers can be collected on a substrate to form thin films of the target material. We have deposited thin films of the conjugated polymer poly(p-phenylenevinylene), PPV, by laser ablation of a PPV target film. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of films deposited in this way are very similar to those of pristine, spin-cast material. The UV-visible and infrared absorption spectra of the films produced by ablation also show features characteristic of PPV. We also observe gratings etched onto the surfaces of target films. These grating are due to interference effects and have the potential to be used in photonic device structures based on PPV or other conjugated polymers.