Charge carrier blocking layers for polymer-based electro-optic devices

Electrical resistivity, electron and hole barrier heights and interfaces can significantly affect the efficiency of electric field poling of non-linear optic (NLO) polymers. A combination of uniformity of the electric field distribution, charge carrier blocking and behavior of NLO chromophores can be optimized by introducing buffer layers and/or charge carrier blocking layers between the NLO polymer core layer and the anode and cathode electrodes, maximizing the poling field, chromophore alignment, nonlinearity or electro-optic (EO) coefficient, r33, and yield of the poled NLO polymers.