Pacific Wave Industries, Inc.

Cheng Zhang

Joseph Michael

Harold R Fetterman

William H Steier

Chuanguang Wang

Larry R Dalton

Albert S Ren

Aaron W Harper

Fang Wang

Polymers containing polyene-bridged second-order nonlinear optical chromophores and devices incorporating the same are disclosed. The chromophores are functionalized and incorporated into a series of polymers ranging from linear polyesters, linear poly&lsqb;ester-imide&rsqb;s, chain-crosslinked polyesters/poly&lsqb;ester-imide&rsqb;s, to crosslinked star-shaped/dendritic macromolecules. An exemplary preferred polymer is a linear chain polymer formed from a dihydroxy-functionalized polyene-bridged chromophore, a diacid or diacid dichloride, and a diol. In a preferred embodiment, the diol structure also includes at least one imide group. Another exemplary preferred polymer is a crosslinked polymer comprised of a linear chain polymer formed from a dihydroxy-functionalized polyene-bridged chromophore, a diacid or diacid dichloride and a diol. The crosslinking is realized by thermally induced cyclolization of trifluorovinylethers which are attached to the diol co-monomer and/or chromophore in the linear chain polymer chain. In a preferred embodiment, the diol structure also includes at least one imide group. Another exemplary preferred polymer is a crosslinked polymer made from crosslinkable star-shaped high molecular weight (larger than 2,000) structure containing polyene-bridged chromophores. In a preferred embodiment, the crosslinking groups are multiple trifluorovinylether groups located at the periphery of the star-shaped structure. Another exemplary preferred polymer is a crosslinked polymer made from crosslinkable dendritic structure having a chromophore core and one or more dendrons. In a preferred embodiment, the crosslinking groups are multiple trifluorovinylether groups located at the periphery of the dendritic structure.

Polymers containing polyene-based second-order nonlinear optical chromophores and devices incorporating the same

Sterically stabilized second-order nonlinear optical chromophores and devices incorporating the same are embodied in a variety of chromophore materials. An exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group and a ring-locked bridge structure therebetween, with the bridge structure being directly connected to the electron donor via a single bond. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group and a ring-locked bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group, with two free double bonds, one located between the donor and the bridge and the other located between the (fused) ring bridge and the acceptor. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group, and a bridge structure therebetween, with the chromophores having no carbon-carbon double bond between the donor and the (fused) ring bridge. In this class, there is only one unlocked carbon-carbon double bond between the (fused) ring bridge and the acceptor. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group, and a ring-locked bridge structure therebetween, with a built-in electron-withdrawing cyano group on the last ring of the (fused) bridge. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes any electron donor group, an electron acceptor group including a linear conjugated triene bearing four cyano groups, and any bridge structure therebetween.

Sterically stabilized second-order nonlinear optical chromophores with improved stability and devices incorporating the same

Second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) polyene-based chromophores sterically stabilized with a dioxine ring and NLO chromophores containing bithiophene derivatives, and devices incorporating the same, are disclosed. An exemplary preferred chromophore includes an aminophenyl electron donor group and a dioxine-containing bridge structure. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes a ring-locked bridge structure with a dioxine unit and a bithiophene unit. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes a bridge structure with a bithiophene unit and an isophorone-derived cyclohexene unit.

Second-order nonlinear optical chromophores containing dioxine and/or bithiophene as conjugate bridge and devices incorporating the same

Sterically stabilized second-order nonlinear optical chromophores and devices incorporating the same are embodied in a variety of chromophore materials. An exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group and a bridge structure therebetween, with the electron acceptor group being double bonded to the bridge structure. In a preferred embodiment, the bridge structure also includes at least one bulky side group. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group and a ring-locked bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group. The bridge structure comprises, for example, two protected alicyclic rings or ring-locked trienone. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, a ring-locked tricyano electron acceptor group, and a bridge structure therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, the electron acceptor group comprises an isophorone structure.

Sterically stabilized second-order nonlinear optical chromophores and devices incorporating the same

Sterically stabilized polyene-bridged second-order nonlinear chromophores and devices incorporating the same are embodied in a variety of chromophore materials, and particularly in chromophore materials are configured within an oxygen-free operating environment. An exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group and a &pgr;-conjugate bridge structure therebetween. The bridge is a polyene structure having a five-, six- or seven-membered ring to lock one carbon-carbon double bond. The bridge contains an unlocked conjugate diene unit which connects the bridge ring and the acceptor. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group and a ring-locked bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group. The bridge structure includes a fused double-or triple-ring structure which functions to lock two or three double bonds. The bridge also contains an unlocked conjugate diene unit to connect the the bridge ring and the acceptor. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an acceptor, and a bridge structure therebetween, wherein the acceptor is a five- or six-membered ring locked tricyano electron acceptor. Another exemplary preferred chromophore includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group, and a bridge structure therebetween, with the bridge structure including a bithiophene unit. A preferred host polymer for the chromophores is poly&lsqb;bisphenol A carbonate-co-4,4&prime;-(3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexylidene)diphenol carbonate&rsqb;.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Cheng Zhang