Abstract

We consider application of the in situ poling optical polarimetry (POP) method during Corona poling of guest-host systems consisting of a porous sol-gel silicate film matrix doped with Disperse Red 1 (DR1) chromophores. Refractive indices (n_F = 1.419 ± 0.005, before poling), and physical thicknesses (d = 274 ± 8 nm) are consistently determined by ex situ null ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Abelès-Hacskaylo (A-H) characterization. From this procedure and associated modeling, at highest POP sensitivity with s-polarized light in this case, we find that the resulting poling-induced birefringence at its peak (0.45 ± 0.07, at 670 nm) has a magnitude comparable to the film refractive indices.

© 2001 Optical Society of America