| Three techniques have been developed for electro-optic polymers (EOPs) to obtain the most important optical properties for electro-optic (EO) applications.; A method is presented to estimate the index of refraction of EOPs as a function of wavelength based on a prior knowledge of the optical properties of the constituents, which are the nonlinear chromophore and the polymer host. The chromophore is treated as a hypothetical neat solid, and the refractive indices are derived from the absorption data. The composite indices of the chromophore and the polymer are determined using the Lorenz-Lorenz formula.; An experimental technique is presented to measure the absolute optical absorption spectra, the thermal diffusivity and the thermal conductivity of polymer thin films.{09}The technique is based on photothermal deflection spectroscopy and provides sensitivity high enough to quantify very small optical absorption losses (0.01 dB/cm) in polymer films used for optical waveguide applications.; Finally, an experimental method is presented to measure the EO coefficient tensor elements and the anisotropic indices of refraction of an EOP from one sample. The technique measures the reflectance of an EO Fabry-Perot microcavity as a function of incident angle and modulation voltage. |
