WAVE-GUIDE RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY OF POLYMERS AND POLYMER LAMINATES

The Raman waveguide spectra of a series of polymer laminates obtained using a simple optical waveguide coupling device are reported. The optical properties of these polymer films were obtained by measuring the waveguide coupling angles and the resulting electric field calculations were shown to predict (semiquantitatively) the observed spectra as a function of waveguide mode number. A discussion of the practical difficulties encountered with available polymer samples emphasizes why such measurements are not yet to be regarded as 'routine'. No unequivocal evidence could be found for interfacial effects at the polymer/polymer interface.