Optically initiated electric field poling of nonlinear polymers

In our research we have used optical pulses to initiate molecular reorientation by photoisomerization. The unstable cis-isomer of azobenzene is used to enable a transition between two states which both involve the stable trans-isomer. Because of the extreme speed at which the photoisomerization can be initiated, it could find an application in digital optical storage. Our experiments have been performed using a sidechain polymer which is a poly(methyl methacrylate) backbone onto which a pseudo-stilbene Disperse Red 1 is attached.