Novel nonlinear optical materials

• Main Author: KESTER, JOHN J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 10.07.1991
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DYES; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PAINTS; PHYSICS; POLISHES; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP

The present invention is directed to epoxy-based polymeric nonlinear optical materials in which a nonlinear optically active moiety or functionality forms the crosslink between polymer chains and a process for making the nonlinear optical (NLO) epoxy polymer including heating an epoxy resin and a curing agent such as a bi- or tri-functional aromatic amine containing an electron-withdrawing group, for example, diamino diphenylsulfone and poling the mixture under high voltage at elevated temperature for a period of time to bring about orientation of the nonlinear optical moieties in the polymer. The polymers have enhanced stability over polymers in which only one end of an NLO active moiety is attached to the polymer chain.