Design and preparation of hybrid films containing three-branched chromophores for nonlinear optical applications

Abstract

To achieve excellent second nonlinear optical properties, a new series of hybrid films with homogeneous morphology were fabricated via a Diels–Alder reaction of a maleimide modified trichromophore dendrimer with a furan-containing alkoxysilane dye. The hybrid films were cured. The second-order nonlinear optical behavior of the hybrid films were investigated through second harmonic generation (SHG) experiments at 1064 nm. Resonance-enhanced values of the SHG coefficient d₃₃ tend to boost with the chromophore content increasing from 16.56 to 66.56 wt%. Compared with the polymer film, the d₃₃ of the hybrid film was determined to be 93.51 pm V⁻¹, showing an improvement of 24.41% compared with the reduction of chromophore density by about 33.44 wt%. Furthermore, the hybrid film showed an enhanced T_d/2 of 123 °C. This Diels–Alder cross-link hybrid film would be a new choice in the development of nonlinear optical materials and devices.