Thermal Transition Behavior and Second Nonlinear Optical Properties of Polymers Containing Mesogenic Side Chains

Abstract Azo-type nonmesogenic monomer and mesogenic monomers which tend to be arranged in homogeneous or in homeotropic alignment were synthesized. Copolymers were obtained using these monomers by radical polymerization. Thermal and nonlinear optical properties of these copolymers were investigated. The second order nonlinear optical susceptibility enhancement due to liquid crystalline orientation has been observed.