Second-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities in nonelectrically poled guest–host polymers with tricyanofuran chromophores

Abstract

In this manuscript, we describe the current manuscript describes the second-order nonlinear optical susceptibility of guest–host polymers possessing chromophores with strongly electron-accepting tricyanofuran (TCF). Chromophores substituted with different numbers of hydroxyl groups were prepared. Our experimental results demonstrated that the guest–host polymers exhibited nonlinear optical susceptibilities simply upon annealing at temperatures higher than the glass transition point of the host polymers even in the absence of applied external DC electric fields. Nonelectrical poling behaviors were only available for the materials possessing hydroxyl-group-functionalized chromophores. The results indicate that chemisorption of the hydroxyl groups on the substrate led to the orientation order of the guest chromophores. The orientation order of the chromophores was reproduced well by the model of poled polymers in previous studies.