Optical second-harmonic generation from polymerized Langmuir-Blodgett films of 2-(21′-docosenyl)amino-5-nitropyridine

Abstract Thin films of 2-(21′-docosenyl)amino-5-nitropyridine (VECANP) have been prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. Subsequently the films were polymerized by X-ray irradiation. UV/VIS-spectroscopy showed that the light transparency range extends from 450 nm to at least 2000 nm. The dispersion of the nonlinear optical susceptibilities d 33 and d 31 have been determined in the wavelength range between 840 nm and 1318 nm. The different solubilities of polymerized and non-polymerized VECANP in n-hexane offers the possibility to structure the films laterally (for example to fabricate strip waveguides); a necessary condition for application in integrated optics.