Corona poling and electroactivity in a side-chain methacrylate copolymer

The corona poling process and the decay in electro-optic activity were inve stigated for sidechain methacrylate (MA) copolymers functionalized with dif ferent weight percentages of chromophore disperse red-13. In order to obtai n the maximum electro-optic activity, the efficiency of the corona poling p rocess was investigated. The poling time, temperature and grid voltage of t he corona triode were varied. Also, it was found that the electro-optic dec ay depends on chromophore content, temperature and the cooling rate of samp les at the end of the poling process. Experimental data were fitted using t he Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW) stretched exponential function and param eters depending on temperature and thermal treatment, and their relationshi p with the poling process is briefly discussed.