NONLINEAR OPTICAL MATERIALS

ORGANIC POLYMER MATERIALS WITH HIGHLY CONJUGATED PI ELECTRN SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO EXHIBIT POTENTIALLY USEFUL THIRD ORDER NONLINEAR OPTICAL PROPERTIES. POLYPARAPHENYLENE BENZOBISTHIAZOLE (PBT) HAS RECENTLY BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE A HIGH LASER DAMAGE THRESHOLD AND A VALUE OF X(3) ABOUT ON THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE HIGHER THAN THAT OF CS(2). THIS PLUS THE ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY OF PBT ALONG WITH ITS EXCELLENT MECHANICAL PROPERTIES MAKE IT A MATERIAL OF CURRENT INTEREST. SINCE MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND NONLINEAR OPTICAL PROPERTIES ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE PROCESS CONDITIONS FOR SAMPLE PREPARATION IT IS IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE THE NONLINEAR OPTICAL EFFECTS AS A FUNCTION OF PROCESS CONDITIONS. THE WORK PROPOSED HERE WILL BE TO EVALUATE THE THIRD ORDER NONLINEAR OPTICAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PBT AS A FUNCTION OF FILM PROCESS CONDITIONS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT HIGHER VALUES OF X(3) WILL BE OBTAINED AS PROCESS VARIABLES ARE OPTIMIZED.