Photoinduced Modifications of the Nonlinear Optical Response in Liquid Crystalline Azopolymers

• Main Author: Alicante, Raquel. (Author)
• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Format: Electronic
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg : Imprint: Springer, 2013.
• Series: Springer Theses, Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research,
• Subjects: Physics.; Optical materials.; Surfaces (Physics).; Laser Technology, Photonics.; Optical and Electronic Materials.; Surface and Interface Science, Thin Films.; Soft and Granular Matter, Complex Fluids and Microfluidics.; Surfaces and Interfaces, Thin Films.
• Online Access: https://ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31756-9
• Physical Description: XX, 198 p. 135 illus., 48 illus. in color. online resource.
• ISBN: 9783642317569
• ISSN: 2190-5053

Nonlinear optical (NLO) phenomena such as frequency conversion have played a key role in the development of photonic technologies. This thesis reports a detailed study of the molecular response of a large variety of push-pull organic compounds using the Second Harmonic Generation technique, which will serve as a starting point for the investigation at the macroscopic scale of azobenzene-based liquid crystalline polymeric films and their blends with highly efficient NLO chromophores. These materials are designed with the aim of exploiting their photo-addressability in order to tailor their nonlinear behaviour. The magnitude and symmetry of their�nonlinear response was successfully controlled via light irradiation and thermal treatments. Moreover, as a specific application, the recording of efficient NLO gratings was achieved and is described here.