Side-chain nonlinear optical polymers containing a styrylfuran-based chromophore with large electro-optic properties

Abstract

Novel methyl metacrylate (MMA) and maleimide copolymers P1 and P2 containing 5-[5'-(p-diethylaminostyryl)furfurylidene]-N,N'-diethylthiobarbituric acid in the side chain have been synthesized and their electro-optic properties were determined. Copolymers P1 and P2 exhibited the maximum r(33) values of 45.1 and 23.3 pm/V at 1.3 mu m with poling fields of 0.6 and 0.4 MV/cm, respectively. The r(33) values of the copolymers P1 and P2 retained 80% and 90% of the original values, respectively, after heating at 80 degrees C for 50 h.