Optical properties of poly(N-vinylcarbazole)-based guest-host photorefractive polymer systems

Abstract

The photorefractive properties of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) doped with a variety of nonlinear optical chromophores and sensitizing agents are surveyed. Steady-state diffraction efficiencies of greater than 10−3 and two-beam coupling gain exceeding the absorption loss are found in six materials combinations. The effect of the structure of the nonlinear optical chromophore on the photorefractive properties is discussed.