Abstract

Poled polymers are of interest as new electrooptic materials. In situ second harmonic generation (SHG) provides an important tool for studying and optimizing the processing of these polymers. Here, SHG is used to probe the extent of electric field-induced orientation of dopant chromophores in polymethyl methacrylate and polycarbonate. The results indicate that a fraction of the dopants were able to freely rotate at room temperature both before and after thermal cycling. This fraction correlates with the dopant molecular volume, and the long term decay time of the SHG signal after poling. The SHG signal gradually increases as the temperature is raised above an onset temperature far below the glass transition temperature of the host polymer.

© 1989 Optical Society of America