Fabrication and nonlinear optical properties of polymeric thin films doped with a novel tricyanofuran chromophore

A novel second-order nonlinear optical chromophore (DCDHF-2-V) containing a tricyanofuran acceptor, was synthesized by a two-step reaction and characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, FT-IR and thermal analysis, respectively. Spin-coated films of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) doped with DCDHF-2-V were fabricated and their poling behaviors were studied by UV–visible absorption spectra and atom force microscopy (AFM). The second-order nonlinear coefficient d 33 was taken from the second harmonic generation (SHG) experimental setup and thereby the calculated value was 15.2 pm/V at the wavelength of 1064 nm. The relation between the second-order nonlinear coefficients d 33 and d 13 for the poled polymer film was also discussed in detail.