CHARACTERIZATION OF ELECTROOPTIC POLYMER-FILMS BY USE OF DECAL-DEPOSITED REFLECTION FABRY-PEROT MICROCAVITIES

We have used resonant reflection mode Fabry-Perot microcavities (RFPM' s) to determine linear optical and electro-optical properties of poled nonlinear optical polymers (NLP's). Measured reflectances from angula r scans of RFPM's have been analyzed with an electromagnetic plane-wav e multilayer analysis that took into account the anisotropic nature of the NLP layer. We have numerically investigated the mutual dependence of refractive indices and layer thickness and the accuracy of the res ults obtained. As an illustration of this characterization technique, the refractive indices of a 10 mol.% Disperse Red 1/poly(methyl methac rylate) sidechain NLP have been determined to within +/-0.005, the NLP layer thicknesses to within 1%, and electro-optic coefficients to wit hin 5%. We optimized RFPM structures for measurements at the wavelengt h lambda = 430 nm by changing the electrode metal from gold to aluminu m. Using a guest-host NLP, 5 wt. % diphenyl-tricyanovinyl-aniline in p oly(methyl methacrylate), we show that the method is capable of measur ing electrorefraction and electroabsorption as well as a converse piez oelectric contribution. We show that a NLP decal deposition technique is particularly well suited to fabrication of these RFPM's. (C) 1998 O ptical Society of America.