Electro-optic Fluorinated Polyimides with Benzoxazole-based Chromophores

Abstract

Second-order nonlinear optical polyimides were successfully synthesized by Mitsunobu reaction of polyhydroxyimides with hydroxylated benzoxazole chromophores. These resultant fluorinated polyimides were fairly soluble in pyridine, cyclohexanone, and therefore could be easily spin casted for electro-optic thin films. The polyimides had glass transition temperatures of 175 similar to 195 degrees C, and the electro-optic coefficients were in the range of 8.5 similar to 12.3 pm/V at 1.3 mu m and showed long-term temporal stability