Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 February 2011
Novel rigid rod polymers substituted with NLO-active chromophores have been developed towards application in electrooptical signal Modulation. The Materials are based on rigid polyesters and polyesteramids, in which the chromophores are either covalently linked to the backbone by short flexible spacers or directly incorporated into the main chain. In the bulk these systems form macroscopically ordered structures with layers of rigid rod backbones separated by the side chain segments. The properties and stability of the induced polar order can thus be adjusted by morphological parameters like the layer distance or the orientation of the main chains relative to the substrate. The relaxation of the NLO activity with time is described by a Multi-exponential decay and shows enhanced time-temperature stability even above 100°C. The temperature dependence of the relaxation times exhibits unusual features that distinguishes these systems from conventional NLO side chain polymers.