Optical Waveguiding in Poled NLO Polymers

For potential optoelectronic applications, new polymeric thin films containing nonlinear optical chromophores aligned by electric field poling for a Χ(2) nonlinear optical response have been prepared and studied. Spectroscopic and optical waveguiding techniques, as well as second harmonic generation and electrooptic measurements, are being used to characterize these thin film materials. Here we optimize the chromophores in spectral response, nonlinearity, concentration and degree of alignment. Stability in the nonlinearity has been improved considerably by attaching the chromophores to crosslinked epoxy polymers. Some applications of these materials for electrooptic phase modulators will be presented.