NOVEL THERMALLY STABLE POLYMER MATERIALS FOR 2ND-ORDER NONLINEAR OPTICS

A novel method of preparing thermally stable thin films with intrinsic second-order nonlinear optical activity is described. Design and synt hesis yielded new ferroelectric bifunctional liquid crystalline acryla te monomer mixtures with a fast electro-optical response in the chiral smectic C (SmC) phase. The ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomer mixtures were poled and subsequently cross-linked by insitu photopolym erization in the surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal state . After cross-linking the polarization is no longer reversible, hence the material is pyroelectric and not ferroelectric. The cross-linked p yroelectric materials displayed a thermally stable nonlinear optical r esponse.