Polymeric Optical Materials Research Articles

Photoconductivity and Photovoltage Generation in Novel Photocrosslinkable Nonlinear Optical Polymers

ABSTRACTPhotoconductivity in photocrosslinkable second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) polymeric materials and photovoltage generation in a poled guest-host polymer are reported. These NLO polymers have been functionalized with crosslinkable cinnamoyl groups and show relatively stable second-order optical nonlinearities at room temperature when poled and crosslinked. Without introducing any photosensitizer or charge carrier transport agents, photoconductivity was obtained in these polymer systems. Optical excitations of the NLO chromophores lead to photocarrier generation and it is conjectured that these NLO chromophores also play a role in the carrier transport. In addition to photoconductivity, photovoltage generation was observed in the dye doped polymer upon poling. This poled polymer also exhibits a polarization dependent photovoltage when illuminated by light in the absorption region of the NLO chromophore.

Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Processable Polymeric Materials

ABSTRACTLinear and nonlinear optical (NLO) polymeric materials with good processabilities are discussed. An azo-dye substituted copolymer (3RNO2, nitro-terminated diazo dye) are investigated. The polymer film was found to be transparent and attenuation loss was less than 2 dB/cm. The χ(3) of 3RNo2 reaches 5×10−11 esu in the near-resonant region. With polymers where the dye molecules are introduced into the polymer backbone (a main chain polymer), a χ(3) larger than 10−11 esu is obtained even in a monoazo dye introduced polymer. A new molecular crystal, symmetrically substituted benzylidene-aniline compound, SBAC for short, are also successfully polymerized (introduced into a polymer main chain) and their χ(3) values are revealed to be around 1010 esu in the near-resonant wavelength region. The optical transmission of these polymers is also investigated and revealed to be around 2 dB/cm. With poly(arylene vinylene), a certain population of χ-conjugation length will induce enhancement of the resonant χ(3) of the polymers. The polymer can be used to fabricate channel waveguides with the photo-bleaching technique.

Integrated optic devices based on nonlinear optical polymers

An examination is made of the state of the art of nonlinear optical polymeric materials in view of their potential advantages. It is shown that these organic materials have many attractive features compared to LiNbO/sub 3/ and III-V semiconductors with regard to their use in integrated optic circuits, especially since the level of integration is ever increasing. Considering more specifically electro-optic devices, a description is given of some of the theoretical background and basic properties. These polymers have already demonstrated a very high and extremely fast electro-optic effect compared to LiNbO/sub 3/. It is also shown how low-loss waveguides can be fabricated by using easy techniques such as direct UV bleaching. The performance of phase modulators, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, and 2*2 space switches built with such polymers is already very promising.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Critical requirements for non linear optical polymeric materials in active optical devices: The present state and prospects for the future

Critical requirements for non linear optical polymeric materials in active optical devices: The present state and prospects for the future

Polymers for optoelectronics

AbstractThis paper discusses polymers for optoelectronics, especially plastic optical fibers (POFs) for near‐infrared (near‐IR) use and polymeric nonlinear optical materials expected for use as switching devices. Near‐IR transmissible plastic optical fibers are investigated using fluorination and deuteration for conventional polymers. Among them pentafluoro‐trideutero‐styrene polymer core POF has excellent transparency in the near‐IR region even after water vapor absorption. Nonlinear optical polymeric materials with excellent processibilities are also investigated. The third‐order nonlinear optical susceptibility of poly‐aromatic vinylene thin film was measured and revealed to have a higher susceptibility than previously reported.

Multi-Functional Device Applications of Nonlinear Optical Polymer Materials.

AbstractRecent developments in the application of electro-optic polymer materials to perform multi-functional roles in integrated optic device applications are summarized and future requirements for practical field operation are discussed.

Nature of the cumulative effect in laser damage to optical materials

An analysis is made of the laws governing the cumulative effect in laser damage to optical materials. A method for studying this effect, based on a statistical approach, is proposed and the main characteristics are introduced to describe laser damage to materials in the multiple-exposure regime. The possible mechanisms of the cumulative effect are discussed. Experimental data are given on laser damage to optical polymer materials and these data demonstrate some of the fundamental laws governing this effect. Using the example of transparent polymers, methods for suppressing the cumulative effect are proposed and put into practice.

On The Nature Of The Accumulation Effect In Laser-Induced Damage To Optical Materials

Features of multiple-shot laser-induced damage to optical materials are analyzed. The methodology of studying the accumulation effect responsible for catastrophic damage, based on the statistical approach, is suggested, and the basic characteristics of multiple-shot damage are introduced. Possible mechanisms of microdamage in materials under multiple laser irradiation are discussed. The experimental data on the laser-induced damage to optical polymer materials which demonstrate some basic properties of the accumulation effect are presented. The ways of suppressing the accumulation effect in transparent polymers which result in a considerable increase of laser damage resistance are proposed.