CHARGE INJECTION INDUCED OPTICAL NONLINEARITY OF INPLANE POLED POLYMER-FILMS - EFFECTS OF HOST POLYMER, SUBSTRATE AND ELECTRODES

'In plane' poling of polymer films containing hyperpolarizable dye mol ecules can lead to large optical nonlinearities along a direction perp endicular to that of the applied field. The magnitude of this nonlinea rity depends on the polymer host, substrate and electrode metal. After removal of the field, decay of the nonlinearity also varies considera bly from host to host. Measurement of the current flow during poling i s consistent with a model for formation of the perpendicular nonlinear ity via charge injection from the electrodes, diffusion into the bulk polymer and charging of the dye.