1,3-bis(dicyanomethylidene)indane-based second-order NLO materials

Difunctional aminophenylenethienylidene-1,3-bis(dicyanomethylidene)indane (APT-BDMI) based second-order nonlinear optical materials have been synthesized and characterized. The BDMI-based NLO chromophores studied here demonstrate excellent chemical stability under ambient and poling conditions. The electrooptic coefficient r(33) of 21 pm/V at 1.06 mm for a 30-40 wt % chromophore doped PMMA thin film was the value measured at approximately 60-80% of retention of the maximum poling signal. BDMI-based materials have excellent potential for electrooptic applications.