Abstract

Photorefractive polymer materials offer a number of potential advantages over inorganic photorefractives, particularly low cost of material, low dc dielectric constant, ease of fabrication, and compatibility with integrated optics. Measurements of photoconductivity, nonlinearity, and grating formation are used to understand the newly observed photorefractive effect¹ in several nonlinear polymers doped with charge transport agents. In particular, we find that the simple presence of photoconductivity and optical nonlinearity is not sufficient to guarantee the dominance of the photorefractive effect, as some materials show strong photochromic grating production. Direct measurements of the amplitudes and phase shifts of index and absorption gratings² provide a powerful tool to assess the relative importance of photochromic and photorefractive processes. Similar tests should be used for all potential photorefractive polymers. The current and potential dynamical properties as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this new class of photorefractive materials will be summarized.

© 1992 Optical Society of America