Chemical imidization for enhanced thermal stability of poled electro-optic response in polyimide guest-host systems

Abstract

Chemical imidization at room temperature is employed as a novel curing process for dc electric field poled electro-optic (EO) polyimide guest-host systems. Dehydration occurring through imidization of the polyamic acid is completed chemically after poling rather than thermally during poling. After thermal aging at 155 °C (above the poling temperature) chemically imidized samples retain over 30% of their original poling induced EO signal while similarly poled samples, which have not been chemically imidized, produce a null EO response.