2ND-HARMONIC GENERATION IN SELF-ASSEMBLED ALTERNATING MULTILAYERS OF HEMICYANINE CONTAINING POLYMERS AND POLYVINYLAMINE

Assembly of noncentrosymmetric multilayers is a facile technique for p reparing noncentrosymmetric films avoiding electrical poling procedure s and problems from subsequent relaxation of the induced orientational order. A maximum chi(zzz) of 13 x 10(-9) esu was achieved for the ass embly of up to six layers. Current problems are the long-term hydrolys ation of the hemicyanine nonlinear optical chromophores and the reduct ion of polar orientation with increasing layer thickness.