Achieving excellent electro-optic activity and thermal stability in poled polymers through an expeditious crosslinking process

A series of highly efficient and thermally stable electro-optic (EO) polymers have been developed by poling and crosslinking in situ the blend of high glass-transition temperature ( T g ) anthracene-containing polymers and acrylate-functionalized dendritic nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores. By molecular engineering of the shape, nonlinearity, T g , and crosslinking moieties of the chromophores and polymers, the resultant materials showed significantly enhanced EO activities ( r 33 values as high as 126 pm V 1 at 1310 nm) and alignment stability (up to 200 C). Poling efficiency of these EO polymers could be improved by 3550% by using simplified lattice hardening and poling protocols. The combined good processability, large EO activities, and high temperature stability endow these materials as promising candidates for device exploration in the CMOS-based photonics. A series of highly efficient and thermally stable electro-optic (EO) polymers have been obtained from expeditious in situ poling and cross-linking protocols.