Dispersion of second-order optical properties of new high thermal stability guest chromophores

A new class of high thermal stability fused-ring guest chromophores intended for incorporation into highly stable host polyimides has been successfully developed. Thermal stabilities far in excess of 300 °C have been achieved for both the pure guest and the parent guest-host systems. dc-induced second harmonic generation measurements of the microscopic second order β of the guest chromophores in solution have been performed using an optical parametric generation technique. In the near-infrared region, values of the standard product μβ of order 103×10−48 esu have been observed. These values are in good agreement with quantum many-electron calculations.