Photorefractive polymer composite trapping properties and a link with chromophore structure Available to Purchase

The photorefractive properties and the phase stability of polymer composites are dependent on the detail of the alkyl chain substituent attached to the electro-optic dye within the composite. Photorefractive composites based on poly (N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), sensitized with trinitrofluorenone (TNF) and mixed with a concentration of 47.5 wt. % of electro-optic dye have been tested for photorefractive performance. Two alternative azo dyes of identical molecular weight have been used to produce alternative composites; both dyes were modified to suppress spatial isomerism and incorporated an eight carbon alkyl chain at the electropositive end of the chromophore: either a straight octyl chain or a branched ethylhexyl chain was substituted. The reorientational enhancement of photorefractive performance is similar in the composites resulting from these dyes. The dye with a straight octyl chain led to a composite with improved holographic performance. The dye with a branched ethylhexyl chain led to a composite exhibiting lower diffraction efficiency, but with superior phase stability. A tentative explanation is offered for these differences based on the shape of the alkyl substituent and its effect on a trapping mechanism involving the dye molecules and the sensitisor anions in PVK:TNF-based photorefractive composites.