An alternating layer Langmuir/Blodgett trough and support system equipment will be used to conduct research on the deposition and characterization of ultrathin polymeric films. The materials chosen for examination will be polymers with substituted dyes selected for their nonlinear optical properties. Second order nonlinear performance, such as second harmonic generation and the linear electro-optic effect, will be measured for the completed film assemblies. The assemblies must maintain noncentrosymmetric order throughout if they are to produce the extraordinary large effects predicted. Thus, the assemblies are built up in an alternating layer fashion using the active polymer interleaved with either inert organic layers or with other active species synthesized to present a net nonsymmetric order for each pair of layers. The development of novel nonlinear materials is a critical technological issue. Optical fiber communication systems require the development of switches, modulators, and dispersion compensation. Organic molecules, such as hemocyanin dyes, possess the largest second order nonlinear coefficients known. The Langmuir/Blodgett permits the development of multi-monolayer film architectures which may provide the performance in the film assembly expected from the molecular behavior. Thus, research devoted to studying interleaved organic and polymeric materials may provide key components for optical systems of the future.
