Nonlinear optical performance of poled liquid crystalline azo-dyes confined in SiO2 sonogel films

摘要: The catalyst-free sonogel route was implemented to fabricate highly pure, optically active, hybrid azo-dye/SiO2-based spin-coated thin films deposited onto ITO-covered glass substrates. azo-dyes exhibit a push–pull structure; thus chromophore electrical poling performed in order explore their quadratic nonlinear optical (NLO) performance and the role of SiO2 matrix for allowing molecular alignment within host network. Morphological characterizations were film samples according atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy Maker-fringe technique. Regardless absence high transition temperature (T g) studied monomeric liquid crystalline azo-dyes, some displayed stable NLO activity such as second harmonic generation (SHG). Results show that chromophores homogeneously embedded network, where guest–host mechanical interacti...