Elektrooptische und photonische Bauelemente

In electro-optical and photonic devices with a functional layer of oriented, cross-linked non-linear optical (NLO) polymer between 2 buffer layers, the polymer is a polyadduct (I) containing a NLO grouping, derived from (a) NLO active compound(s) (II) containing cyanate (NC-O-) group(s) and (b) organic di- or polycyanate(s) (III). Also claimed is a method of making the devices. (II) is a mono- or di-cyanatophenyl substituted thiophene or thiazole (IIA), where n = 1 or 2; X = nitrogen (N) or methine (CR4); Y = a chemical bond, sulphur (S), sulphinyl (SO), sulphonyl (SO2), oxygen (O) or imino (NR5); R1 = hydrogen (H), fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), cyano (CN), nitro (NO2), 1-10 carbon (C) alkyl, 3-6C cycloalkyl or 1-10C alkoxy; R2 = H, Cl, Br, CN, NO2, formyl (CHO), 2,2-dicyanovinyl (CH=C(CN)2) or a diazo group (N=N-D); R3 = N=N-G or amino (NQ1Q2); R4 = H, CN, NO2 or 1-6C alkoxycarbonyl; R5 = H or 1-4C alkyl; D = the residue of a carbocyclic or heterocyclic diazo component; G = the residue of a coupling component; Q1, Q2 = H, 1-10 C alkyl (optionally with ether O atom(s) in the chain and/or substituted by hydroxyl (OH), 1-4 C alkoxy or 1-8C alkoxycarbonyl), allyl, benzyl, phenylethyl or phenyl; or NQ1Q2 = a heterocyclic group. USE - The devices are planar waveguides, the function of which can be changed by electric potential, used in non-linear optics and optical information technology, e.g. modulators, Mach-Zehnder modulators, tuneable and switchable couplers, (tuneable) wavelength filters and polarisation modifiers. ADVANTAGE - Relaxation and hence loss of NLO activity is a problem with most polymers that have the required high second order susceptibility, which makes them unsuitable for technical devices requiring long-term stability. Relaxation after orientation is avoided or inhibited in (I) and optical losses are small. Usually, relaxation is avoided up to temperatures >100 deg. C, and (I) are stable at temperature >200 deg. C. Very wide variation of the optical properties is possible.