Engineering Creativity Award: Nonlinear Optical CompositiesUsing Nonlinear Organic Molecules in Inorganic Matrices

这个研究项目的目标是创造电光器件 对于使用非线性的光通信和/或计算系统 光学材料 特别是，非线性光学复合材料将 通过将高度非线性的有机材料 无机基质中的分子。 非线性效应已被证明， 在有机物中要比最好的无机物大得多。 然而，在开发中存在显著的制造问题。 含有有机分子的材料。 这些问题的可能解决方案在于溶胶-凝胶法， 制造玻璃。 在这个项目中，溶胶-凝胶溶液将被用作 光学有机分子基质材料。 新的有机- 无机复合材料将通过混合非线性 将光学有机物引入溶胶-凝胶溶液中，使得SiO2是主体。 溶胶-凝胶应该在每个有机分子周围形成SiO2笼 将其锁定到位。 有机分子复合物的排列， 通过极化技术完成，以观察 二阶效应。 通过沉积连续的 具有不同折射率的溶胶-凝胶，可以 实现了 研究的总体计划基本上是合成（制造）， （材料的）表征和器件实现。

The goal of this research project is to create electrooptical devices for optical communications and/or computing systems using nonlinear optical materials. In particular, nonlinear optical composites will be fabricated and characterized by placing highly nonlinear organic molecules in inorganic matrices. Nonlinear effects have been shown to be much larger in organics compared to the best inorganics. Significant fabrication problems exist, however, in developing materials containing organic molecules. A possible solution to these problems lies in the sol-gel process for making glass. In this project, sol-gel solutions will be used as the host material for optical organic molecules. The new organic- inorganic composite material will be formed by mixing nonlinear optical organics into the sol-gel solution so that SiO2 is the host. The sol-gel should form a SiO2 cage around each organic molecule locking it in place. Alignment of the organic molecule composites is accomplished by the poling techniques in order to observe the necessary second order effects. By depositing sucessive layers of sol-gel with different indices, nonlinear optical waveguides can be realized. The general plan of research is essentially synthesis (fabrication), characterization (of materials), and device realization.