Optimizing the Near‐Infrared Performance of Photorefractive Composites by Chemical Modification of the Sensitizer

Abstract

AbstractThe influence of structural changes of a naphthalene–bisimide sensitizer on the photorefractive behavior of the respective polymeric composites is reported. By increasing the number of attached thiophene units, the band gap of the sensitizer was gradually reduced, leading to an increased absorption cross‐section of the photorefractive materials. However, the electron‐accepting capabilities as well as the relative content of the sensitizer in the composites remained unchanged for the whole series. The increased absorption had a remarkably beneficial effect on both the steady‐state as well as the dynamic performance of the composites, leading to a material which is able to outperform the former fastest and most sensitive material at the utilized wavelength by a factor of two.