SBIR Phase I:A Low Cost Scalable Approach to Improved Electro-optic Materials Performance using a New Functionalized Polymer Host with a Wide Range of Commercially Available Chromo

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project describes a new approach to solving the problem of creating higher performing Electro-Optic (EO) polymer materials which have significantly lower cost than the current very expensive multi-step synthesis. The proposed technology also offers the ability to obtain much higher optimal loading, which will improve performance. The greater chromophore effectiveness and higher loading levels potentially eliminate the need for expensive high performance chromophores and for the first time can allow the use of simple chromophores to obtain high EO coefficients. The specific technical objectives in the proposed work include: (1) down-select 10 most promising chromophores best suited to the new functionalized polymer technology (2) measure and optimize the red shift of the bandgap of these chromophore/polymer composites; and (3) pole and characterize the optimized EO materials using the r33 value obtained, switching speed, insertion loss, thermal stability, and relaxation rate of the chromophores to improve the commercial application value. Significant societal and commercial impact will emerge from improved electro-optic devices having greatly expanded bandwidth for telecommunications. For example, higher data transfer will benefit applications such as telemedicine, virtual classrooms, higher-level security systems, and real time personal and commercial data access. The proposed activities will enhance global scientific knowledge in electro-optic polymers through investigation of the unprecedented red shift. Further investigation of this unusual effect should lead to new device inventions.