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Research describing analysis of optical poling techniques applied to polymethylacrylate films is presented. In particular phase matched second harmonic generation is demonstrated.

Two types of polymers with disperse red 19 pendant groups, a thermal-imidization polyimide and a thermal-crosslinking polyurethane, were employed in thermal-assisted optical poling to enhance the photostability of the optically induced polar orientation of molecules. During the seeding process, samples heated in an oven were irradiated simultaneously by the coherent superposition of the 1064 nm fundamental and the 532 nm second-harmonic light of a nanosecond-pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Results showed that the optically aligned azodye molecules were fixed by the thermosetting polymer matrix during the thermal-assisted optical poling process.