Real-time investigation photobleaching process using non-scanning ATR method: Measurement of the refractive index and the thickness of the polymer

A novel real-time measurement method to determine the refractive index and the thickness of a polymer film based on the non-scanning attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique is proposed during photobleaching process. Several dark lines corresponding to the guided-wave modes are demonstrated on the computer screen by a CCD camera. According to the shift of the dark lines, the changing value of the refractive index and the thickness of the polymer film can be simultaneously determined in time during photobleaching process. And we have explained the measurement results from the chemical and physical properties of the polymer.