Photoinduced Birefringence, Holographic Surface Gratings and Photorefractive Properties of AZO Polymers

Abstract

Azo polymers are the subject of an impressive number of publications in the recent literature, due to a variety of possible applications. The main area of interest is in their nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, and azo-containing polymer films have been synthesized, poled and their second harmonic generation and waveguide properties have been investigated. The publication pace on this subject is considerable, and it would be impossible to summarize the most important trends. The general directions of the research are related to improved thermal stability and especially to methods to increased stability of orientation of the azo chromophores. Polyimides and/or crosslinked polymers are the preferred methods to achieve these goals.