EP0262680A2
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EP
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Side chain liquid crystalline polymeric media exhibiting third order nonlinear optical response
Assignee: CNA Holdings LLC
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Filing: 1987-10-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-10-01
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides a process for producing a transparent optical medium consisting of a liquid crystalline polymer which exhibits third order nonlinear optical response. Illustrative of an invention optical medium is a transparent film of a side chain liquid crystalline polymer corresponding to the formula: <CHEM> The transparent film has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry, and exhibits essentially no scattering of a transmitted incident light beam.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas M. Leslie
- 👤 Hyun-Nam Yoon
- 👤 Ronald N. Demartino
- 👤 James B. Stamatoff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 19:26
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/35; G02F1/355; G02F1/361; G02F1/3615; G02F1/3617; C; C09; C09K; C09K19/00; C09K19/04; C09K19/38; C09K19/3833; C09K19/3842; C09K19/3852
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A process for the production of a transparent nonlinear optical medium which comprises heating a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer to form an isotropic melt phase, and cooling the isotropic melt phase rapidly to below the glass transition temperature of the polymer to form a transparent solid medium; wherein the polymer has mesogenic side chains which comprise at least about 25 weight percent of the polymer, and the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C, and wherein the transparent medium exhibits third order nonlinear optical response.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
87 words
A process for the production of a transparent nonlinear optical medium which comprises heating a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer to form an isotropic melt phase, and cooling the isotropic melt phase rapidly to below the glass transition temperature of the polymer to form a transparent solid medium; wherein the polymer has mesogenic side chains which comprise at least about 25 weight percent of the polymer, and the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C, and wherein the transparent medium exhibits third order nonlinear optical response.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid crystalline polymer has a polyvinyl main chain structure
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid crystalline polymer has a polysiloxane main chain structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid crystalline polymer has a polyoxyalkylene main chain structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid crystalline polymer has a polyester main chain structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid crystalline polymer has a polyamide main chain structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the rapid cooling of the polymer from the isotropic melt phase to the transparent solid phase is accomplished within a time period between about 0.001-60 seconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptability χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
166 words
A process for the production of a transparent nonlinear optical medium which comprises heating a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer above the mesophase temperature range to form an isotropic melt phase, and cooling the isotropic melt phase rapidly to below the glass transition temperature of the polymer to form a transparent solid medium; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and wherein the polymer is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where P is a main chain polymer unit; m is an integer of at least 10; S is a flexible spacer group having a linear chain length of between about 1-25 atoms; X is -NR-, -O- or -S-; R is hydrogen or a C₁-C₄ alkyl group; Y is Z is an electron-donating group or an electron-withdrawing group: and where the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
166 words
A process for the production of a transparent nonlinear optical medium which comprises heating a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer above the mesophase temperature range to form an isotropic melt phase, and cooling the isotropic melt phase rapidly to below the glass transition temperature of the polymer to form a transparent solid medium; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and wherein the polymer is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where P is a main chain polymer unit; m is an integer of at least 10; S is a flexible spacer group having a linear chain length of between about 1-25 atoms; X is -NR-, -O- or -S-; R is hydrogen or a C₁-C₄ alkyl group; Y is Z is an electron-donating group or an electron-withdrawing group: and where the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium produced in accordance with the process of claim 9.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
146 words
A process for the production of a transparent nonlinear optical medium which comprises heating a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer above the mesophase temperature range to form an isotropic melt phase, and cooling the isotropic melt phase rapidly to below the glass transition temperature of the polymer to form a transparent solid medium; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and wherein the polymer is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where n is an integer between about 4-20; X¹ is -NR¹-, -O-, or -S-; R¹ is hydrogen or methyl; Z¹ is -NO₂, -CN or -CF₃; and where the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range between about 5000-200,000, and a glass transition temperature above about 40°C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
146 words
A process for the production of a transparent nonlinear optical medium which comprises heating a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer above the mesophase temperature range to form an isotropic melt phase, and cooling the isotropic melt phase rapidly to below the glass transition temperature of the polymer to form a transparent solid medium; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and wherein the polymer is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where n is an integer between about 4-20; X¹ is -NR¹-, -O-, or -S-; R¹ is hydrogen or methyl; Z¹ is -NO₂, -CN or -CF₃; and where the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range between about 5000-200,000, and a glass transition temperature above about 40°C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
A transparent optical medium produced in accordance with the process of claim 11.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
133 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium comprising a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where P is a main chain polymer unit; m is an integer of at least 10; S is a flexible spacer group having a linear chain length of between about 1-25 atoms; X is -NR-, -O- or -S-; R is hydrogen or a C₁-C₄ alkyl group; Y is Z is an electron-donating group or an electron-withdrawing group; and where the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
133 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium comprising a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where P is a main chain polymer unit; m is an integer of at least 10; S is a flexible spacer group having a linear chain length of between about 1-25 atoms; X is -NR-, -O- or -S-; R is hydrogen or a C₁-C₄ alkyl group; Y is Z is an electron-donating group or an electron-withdrawing group; and where the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium in accordance with claim 13 which exhibits less than about 5 percent scattering of transmitted incident light.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
113 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium comprising a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where n is an integer between about 4-20; Xl is -NR¹-, -O-, or -S-; R¹ is hydrogen or methyl; Z¹ is -NO₂, -CN or -CF₃; and where the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range between about 5000-200,000, and a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
113 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium comprising a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where n is an integer between about 4-20; Xl is -NR¹-, -O-, or -S-; R¹ is hydrogen or methyl; Z¹ is -NO₂, -CN or -CF₃; and where the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range between about 5000-200,000, and a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A transparent nonlinear optical medium in accordance with claim 15 which exhibits less than about 5 percent scattering of transmitted incident light.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
146 words
An optical light switch or light modulator device with a polymeric nonlinear optical component comprising a transparent solid medium of a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where P is a main chain polymer unit; m is an integer of at least 10; S is a flexible spacer group having a linear chain length of between about 1-25 atoms; X is -NR-, -O- or -S-; R is hydrogen or a C₁-C₄ alkyl group; Y is Z is an electron-donating group or an electron-withdrawing group; and where the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.9µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
146 words
An optical light switch or light modulator device with a polymeric nonlinear optical component comprising a transparent solid medium of a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where P is a main chain polymer unit; m is an integer of at least 10; S is a flexible spacer group having a linear chain length of between about 1-25 atoms; X is -NR-, -O- or -S-; R is hydrogen or a C₁-C₄ alkyl group; Y is Z is an electron-donating group or an electron-withdrawing group; and where the polymer has a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.9µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
127 words
An optical light switch or light modulator device with a polymeric nonlinear optical component comprising a transparent solid medium of a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where n is an integer between about 4-20; X¹ is NR¹-, -O-, or -S-; R¹ is hydrogen or methyl; Z¹ is -NO₂, -CN or -CF₃; and where the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range between about 5000-200,000, and a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
127 words
An optical light switch or light modulator device with a polymeric nonlinear optical component comprising a transparent solid medium of a liquid crystalline polymer which is characterized by a recurring monomeric unit corresponding to the formula: where n is an integer between about 4-20; X¹ is NR¹-, -O-, or -S-; R¹ is hydrogen or methyl; Z¹ is -NO₂, -CN or -CF₃; and where the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range between about 5000-200,000, and a glass transition temperature above about 40°C; wherein the transparent nonlinear optical medium exhibits a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ (3) of at least about 1 × 10⁻¹¹ esu as measured at 1.91 µm excitation wavelength, and the optical medium has an isotropic molecular configuration with macroscopic centrosymmetry.
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