Photostructuration of nonlinear optical properties in doped photopolymers

Loic Mager; Fabrice Gillot; Kokou Dodzi Dorkenoo; Stephane Mery; Christiane Carré; Alain F. Fort

doi:10.1117/12.507481

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8 December 2003 Photostructuration of nonlinear optical properties in doped photopolymers

Loic Mager, Fabrice Gillot, Kokou Dodzi Dorkenoo, Stephane Mery, Christiane Carré, Alain F. Fort

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Proceedings Volume 5216, Organic Holographic Materials and Applications; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507481
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We present novel substrates for the elaboration of organic active devices for use in integrated optics. The selected materials are based on photopolymerizable matrices doped with optically active molecules. In such organic complexes, photoinduced chemical reactions initiate the polymerization of small monomers inducing an increase in density as well as in viscosity. Since these reactions are limited to the illuminated regions, the properties of these materials are easily patterned. Indeed, a refractive index increase occurs with the densification. Thus, it is possible to create a spatial modulation of the refractive index which can be used to make optical waveguides or phase holograms. Moreover, we induce quadratic non linear optical (NLO) properties by doping the photopolymers with push-pull chromophores. For this purpose, we need a non centro-symmetric alignment of the quadratic optical chromophores. This is obtained by orienting these polar entities with an external static electric field followed by the freeze of their orientation through the viscosity increase associated with the polymerization process. The non linear properties can then be patterned by irradiating the samples through appropriate masks. Long life-time periodically poled structures obtained with NLO chromophores doped photopolymers will be presented.

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Loic Mager, Fabrice Gillot, Kokou Dodzi Dorkenoo, Stephane Mery, Christiane Carré, and Alain F. Fort "Photostructuration of nonlinear optical properties in doped photopolymers", Proc. SPIE 5216, Organic Holographic Materials and Applications, (8 December 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507481

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