Abstract

General issues related to the design and optimization of second order nonlinear optical chromophores and polymers are presented and exemplified by recent work. Nonlinear chromophores have been prepared that contain only thermally stable functionality, their optical nonlinearities β and β_o have been evaluated by the EFISH technique, and their thermal stability has been evaluated by a combination of thermogravitimetric, calorimetric, and spectroscopic techniques. These special chromophores have been incorporated into high temperature thermoplastics in both guest/host and covalent configurations, and the anisotropic polar order in thin films of these materials is created by electric field poling (corona or electrode). The magnitude of the optical nonlinearity and the stability at elevated temperatures (>200°C) is evaluated, and the materials design and processing features required for minimization of the relaxation of polar order are described.

© 1992 Optical Society of America