Excellent quadratic non-linear optical (ONL-2) properties of the poly(2,5-bis(but-2-ynyloxy) benzoate, containing a polar diacetylene as a chromophore, were found. According with the Maker fringes method, oriented polymer films showing an order parameter of ∼0.23 can display outstanding and stable Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) effects under off-resonant conditions (SHG-532 nm). Also, the macroscopic non-linear optical (NLO)-coefficients were evaluated under the rod-like molecular approximation, obtaining: χzzz(2) and χzxx(2) in the order of 280 ± 10 and 100 ± 10 pm V-1, respectively. The mechanical and chemical properties, in addition to the large ONL-2 coefficients exhibited by this polymer, make it a promising organic material in the development of optoelectronic/photonic devices.
Keywords: diacetylenes; non-linear optics; optical materials; organic films; push-pull polymers.