New polymers with large and stable second-order nonlinear optical effects

Abstract

Second order nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers containing NLO moieties with large optical nonlinearities and a cross-linkable unit have been synthesized using difunctionalized disperse red dye. The enhanced second order NLO coefficients, X exp (2) of 250 pm/v for the first polymer and 500 pm/v for the second, were obtained at 532 nm using the corona poling method. The introduction of flexible chains into the polymer backbone is found to cause a decrease in glass transition temperature and, hence, a decrease in the stability of the second-order NLO effects.