F. Cherioux et al., NEW 3RD-ORDER NONLINEAR POLYMERS FUNCTIONALIZED WITH DISPERSE-RED ANDDISPERSE-ORANGE CHROMOPHORES WITH INCREASED STABILITY, Chemistry of materials, 9(12), 1997, pp. 2921-2927
New and very stable polymers with good optical third-order nonlinearit
ies have been prepared by condensation between a copolymer of maleic a
nhydride and octadecene and appropriate Disperse Red and Disperse Oran
ge type chromophores. The nonlinear response of low concentration solu
tions of the polymers has been determined using a new numerical Z-scan
technique. The polymers have been found highly stable, and their nonl
inear response is very reproducible, both under intense illumination a
nd upon several repeated experiments over months. Especially the polym
er where the Disperse Orange 3 chromophore is incorporated in the main
chain through imide linkages displays both the highest refractive non
linearity and almost no two-photon absorption. Its surprisingly higher
nonlinear response with respect to the parent Disperse Orange 3 is de
monstrated and discussed.