9312063 Tripathy A focussed program of scientific research into the molecular -level engineering of a novel class of nonlinear optical polymers will be carried out. The major new direction of this research is into multicomponent interpenetrating polymer networks as a new approach to thermostable second- order nonlinear optical polymers. In addition to addressing fundamental question about solid-state reactions in electric- field-induced ordered reactant media and stability of the poled order in crosslinked interpenetrating networks, technologically relevant materials synthesis, processing, and fabrication will be carried out in this important area. ***
