Abstract

We present data indicating that polyimide is a suitable host for nonlinear optical molecules and that the resulting guest-host system, once poled, has a highly thermally stable EO response. This stability requires both poling during curing and coplanar electrodes. First, the poling electric field is applied during the cure process so that the dipole alignment is achieved before imidization and densification; second, the guest molecules are aligned in the same orientation as the conforming morphology of the host polymer. After vacuum soft-baking the spin-coated guest-dye/host-polyimide thin film (Erythrosin/L100), the films were imidized by heating to 250°C with a dc electric poling field applied. After holding the sample at 250°C for 1 h, the sample was further cured at 360°C for 0.25 h for the densification process and then cooled. The dc poling field was removed upon reaching room temperature.

© 1991 Optical Society of America