Poling of multilayer polymer films for modal dispersion phase matching of second-harmonic generation: effects of glass-transition temperature matching in different layers

The efficiency of multilayered poled polymer devices for parametric mixing depends critically on the creation of large electric fields in the nonlinea r layer containing chromophores with large hyperpolarizabilities. The effec t of changing the relative glass-transition temperatures of the polymer fil ms constituting a four-layer waveguide has been investigated. An increase i n the nonlinearity by a factor of 3.6, as measured by Maker fringes, has be en found between an optimized and a nonoptimized combination. Correlation b etween the poling current density and the propagation losses has also been identified. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224(00)01607-6] OCI S codes: 160.4330, 160.5470, 160.2100.