Second-order nonlinear optical responses of ionically self-assembled films: polycation variations and dianionic chromophores

Abstract

Ionically self-assembled monolayer (ISAM) films have been shown to spontaneously produce noncentrosymmetric ordering that gives rise to a substantial second order nonlinear optical (NLO) response. Typically, the ISAM films for NLO response are an assemblage of bilayers of oppositely charged polymers whose thickness can be controlled through variation of pH and ionic strength of the immersion solutions. Ordinarily, the NLO-inactive polycation solution parameters are chosen the same as for the NLO-active polyanion solution. Here, we study the effects of varying the polycation solution parameters separately from the polyanion solution. We also investigate the effects of replacing the NLO-active polymer layers with layers of dianionic molecules. Films fabricated exclusively using polyelectrolytes contain some fraction of both randomly oriented and anti-parallel oriented chromophores. We have examined the incorporation of dianionic chromophores into ISAM films in order to increase the net polar orientation of the chromophores and reduce bilayer thickness.