Photorefractive effect in an aminonitrostilbene side-chain copolymer

The photorefractive effect has been observed in a 1/1 side chain copolymer of N- methacryloxyethyl-N-methylaminonitrostilbene and methylmethacrylate. Holographic gratings were written in this polymer at 633 nm in 4 - 8 micrometers thick films at low laser powers and detected using four wave mixing and two beam coupling. The polymer which has a high linear electro-optic coefficient was intrinsically photorefractive and did not require the addition of photoconducting or charge generative components. Diffraction efficiencies on the order of 10-5 - 10-4 were measured by four wave mixing. Two beam coupling provided conclusive evidence that the observed effect was photorefractive in nature.