Abstract
Organic nonlinear optical materials have been widely explored because of their advantages in the design of materials with large electro-optic coefficients used in the fabrication of novel optoelectronic and telecommunication devices. However, the huge dipole-dipole interactions between organic nonlinear optical chromophores have limited further improvements in the electro-optic coefficients and long-term material stability. Here, a novel polymer based on poly(aryl ether ketone) was designed and prepared to enhance the electro-optic coefficients and achieve higher long-term stability. This novel poly(aryl ether ketone) has a relatively high glass transition temperature and offers active functional groups for the attachment of organic nonlinear optical chromophores. After attachment of nonlinear optical chromophores the materials showed higher chromophore loading density, less inter-molecular interaction, and suitable solubility. This resulted in better film-forming ability, higher electro-optics coefficients and better long-term stability. Quantum chemical simulations of the second order hyperpolarizabilities and ground sate dipole moments were done to understand the origin of the effects.