Linear and nonlinear optical properties of thin films of polyvinyl carbazol (PVK) and its derivatives were studied by UV-VIS spectroscopy and by harmonic generation techniques. Refractive index and its dispersion was measured for PVK and functionalized PVK by m-lines technique. PVK is an interesting polymer because of its high glass transition temperature and photoconducting properties. Functionalized with coumarine may be used for LED's applications and shows also interesting second order NLO properties when poled. The poled polymers may be reversibly depoled with UV light. However, such a process, whose kinetics depends on temperature, leads to a decrease of second-order NLO process. The third-order NLO susceptibility X⁽³)(- 3(omega) ;(omega) ,(omega) ,(omega) ) is about three times larger for modified PVK and comparable to that found in polysilanes with a larger transparency range.

Date Published: 29 November 2000
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 4106, Linear, Nonlinear, and Power-Limiting Organics, (29 November 2000); doi: 10.1117/12.408503

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4106:
Linear, Nonlinear, and Power-Limiting Organics
Manfred Eich; Christopher M. Lawson; Mark G. Kuzyk; Manfred Eich; Mark G. Kuzyk; Christopher M. Lawson; Robert A. Norwood, Editor(s)