Abstract

In the present study we focus on a relatively new technique introduced by J. A. Cline and W. N. Herman to observe chromophore relaxation in the frequency domain.¹ Their method, which they refer to as chielectric relaxation, is similar to dielectric relaxation measurements that use a sinusoidal electric field to probe the linear dielectric response, but differs in that it measures the second harmonic (SH) light generated from the relaxing chromophores to probe the nonlinear optical susceptibility. The advantage of the chielectric relaxation measurements is that the measured SH response is entirely due to the chromophore, while in the dielectric case, both the chromophore and polymer contribute to the dielectric response.

© 1997 Optical Society of America