Supramolecular Second-Order Nonlinearity of Polymers with Orientationally Correlated Chromophores

Abstract

Nonlinear optical chromophores can be organized as orientationally correlated side groups of polymers with a rigid backbone. In such an organization, each chromophore contributes coherently to the second-order nonlinear response of the polymer structure. A first hyperpolarizability exceeding 5000 × 10 −30 electrostatic units was measured for a poly(isocyanide) structure containing ∼100 chromophores by means of hyper-Rayleigh scattering. Electric field-induced second-harmonic generation measurements confirmed that the product of the permanent dipole moment and the first hyperpolarizability was enhanced for the polymer structure. These results provide guidelines for future efforts to optimize supramolecular structures for applications in second-order nonlinear optics.