9522019 Stegeman Polymer opto-electronics has undergone rapid development in the last five years and has shown considerable promise for photonics applications. However, recent papers have shown that cumulative photodegradation of electro-optic polymers poses a serious long- term problem. Large changes in both the refractive index and waveguide losses have been measured in the near infrared and communications regions of the spectrum in the prototypical molecule DANS. A collaborative university-industry research team consisting of Alex Jen of ROITECH, Seth Marder of Caltech and George Stegeman of CREOL at the University of Central Florida will investigate these issues under a GOALI program. By sharing facilities and expertise, this team will use both optical and analytical chemical techniques to study both the major mechanisms responsible for photodegradation and new approaches to minimizing their effects in the communications bands. Accelerated optical testing will simulate device performance over many years at typical device operating powers. Photodegradation leads to changes in the molecular structure and optical properties. These changes will be measured and correlated in well-known molecules such as DR1 and DANS. Mechanisms such as trans-cis isomerization, and the oxidation and breaking of bonds by incident photons will be quantified. Both linear and multiphoton triggered events will be studied. New molecules designed to reduce photodegradation effects will be designed, synthesized and evaluated. For example, molecules with much narrower (than DANS or DR1) absorption spectra placed strategically relative to the communications bands are to be investigated. ***
