Large Spectral Birefringence in Photoaddressable Polymer Films

A photoaddressable azobenzene-side-chain polymer (see Figure) optimized to exhibit a large optical birefringence of Δn = 0.5 at 650 nm is described. The birefringence extends well into the telecommunication wavelength region, which, together with the high optical transparency above 650 nm, promises applications for integrated photonic device applications. The writing dynamics of the polymer are examined, and it is shown that the rewriteability is limited by photobleaching.