Polymer Science Faculty Research
Novel Experimental Protocol for Studying Temporal Decay of Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Polymer Properties: Quantitative Analysis of Coupling to Polymer Dynamics and Conditions for Temporal Stability
Abstract
A new experimental approach has been developed which allows characterization of rotational dynamics of NLO chromophores in amorphous polymers over 12 decades in time, from 10-6 to 106 sec. Measurements over such a broad distribution in relaxation times are important not only in determining how the chromophore orientational dynamics are coupled to polymer dynamics but also in making accurate predictions of the temporal stability of technological interest. In particular, accurate characterization over a broad range of time scales reveals that NLO polymers meet technological requirements more easily than is predicted using a less complete characterization.
This paper has been withdrawn.