The effect of pump depletion on reversible photodegradation

Abstract We model the effect of pump depletion on reversible photodegradation using the extended domain model [Anderson and Kuzyk, arXiv:1309.5176v1, 2013] and the Beer–Lambert law. We find that neglecting pump absorption in the analysis of the linear optical transmittance leads to an underestimate of the degree and rate of photodegradation. The model is used to accurately measure the molecular absorbance cross sections of the three species involved in photodegradation of disperse orange 11 dye in (poly)methyl-methacralate polymer (DO11/PMMA). Finally we find that the processing history of a dye-doped polymer affects reversible photodegradation, with polymerized monomer solutions of DO11 being more photostable than those prepared from solvent evaporated dye-polymer solutions.