Electro-optics poled sol-gel materials doped with heterocycle push-pull chromophores

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials doped with zwitterionic push-pull chromophores with high hyperpolarizability have been synthesized via sol-gel, based on glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and glycidoxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane (GDMMS). Homogeneous films doped with chromophores, have been obtained using N-hydroxyethylcarbazole as a physical spacer avoiding dye aggregation. The waveguiding properties of the spin-coated doped films electrically poled in N-2 atmosphere showing second harmonic generation measurements, have been preliminarily measured by m-line spectroscopy before and after poling; the feasibility of channel waveguiding structures has been demonstrated. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.