Nonlinear Optical Waveguide Spectroscopy of Poly(3-Butylthiophene)

Abstract

We prepared thin films of the conjugated polymer poly(3-butylthiophene) by spin-coating and performed transmission and reflection spectroscopy to characterize the dispersion of linear refractive index and absorption coefficient at in-plane polarization. Slab waveguides of this regiorandom polythiophene derivative have mode propagation losses smaller than 1 dB/cm at wavelengths larger than 1000 nm. We determined the nonlinear refractive index and two-photon absorption of slab waveguides by means of intensity-dependent prism coupling using picosecond laser pulses in the range 700–1300 nm. These data yield the dispersion of the figures of merit, which appear promising for all-optical waveguide switching at wavelengths larger than 1200 nm.

EQCM Analysis of the Process of Electrochemical Insertion in Regioregular Alkyl-Susbtituted Polyterthiophene during n-Doping

“…Polythiophenes (PTs) constitute an interesting class of materials for the variety of advanced applications in which PTs play a pivotal role as active species. [1][2][3][4][5][6] The range of PTs applications spans from photovoltaics 7 (including perovskite solar cells 8,9 ), nonlinear optics 10 and sensors 11 to medicine, 12 cellular labelling, 13 organic electronics, 14 electroluminescence 15 and photonics 16 among others. 17,18 Such diversity and vastness of PTs applications are a consequence of fortunate combination of the intriguing electrical, electrochemical, optical and physical properties of PTs with the versatility and the easiness of the synthetic procedures through which chemically and physically stable PTs can be attained, 19 also in high yields, under mild operative conditions.…”

EQCM Analysis of the Insertion Phenomena in a n-Doped Poly-Alkyl-Terthiophene With Regioregular Pattern of Substitution

“…By virtue of these properties, PTs are successfully employed as active materials in many advanced applications, e.g., photovoltaic cells ( Marinelli et al, 2020a ; Lanzi et al, 2020 ; Lanzi et al, 2018 ; Kippelen et al, 2016 ), sensors ( Wang et al, 2017 ; Chan et al, 2017a ; Guiseppi-Elie et al, 1998 ), and electroluminescent devices ( Kerfoot et al, 2020 ; Kameta and Shimizu, 2020 ; Menke et al, 2016 ), among others ( Lodola et al, 2019 ; Barbarella and Di Maria, 2015 ; Di Maria et al, 2014 ; Zessin et al, 2017 ; Carreon et al, 2014 ; Chaudhary et al, 2019 ; da Rocha Rodrigues et al, 2020 ; Jung et al, 1998 ; Angiolini et al, 2013 ; Sheehan et al, 2015 ; Zheng et al, 2016 ). PTs are also studied in the ambits of nonlinear optics ( Hartmann et al, 2001 ; Jahja and Bubeck, 2010 ; Persoons et al, 2016 ), photonics ( Portone et al, 2019 ; Cornil et al, 1999 ), and organic electronics ( Hsieh et al, 2016 ; Kanibolotsky et al, 2015 ; Lee et al, 2016 ) due to the high polarizability and mobility of the π-electrons present in large concentrations ( Xie et al, 2016 ; Kossmehl and Skotheim, 1986 ). PTs received great attention among academic and industrial researchers due to the versatility of their synthetic chemistry ( Marsitzky et al, 1999 ; Diaz et al, 1986 ; Roncali et al, 1998 ; Alhalasah and Holze, 2005 ; Roncali, 1997 ), the diversity of PTs applications ( Ellis and Skotheim, 1986 ; McGehee et al, 1999 ), and the ability to switch their chemical-physical properties reversibly in response to stimuli of very different nature (electrochemical, electrical, optical, magnetic, thermal, chemical, or biological) ( Inganäs, 2010 ; Otero, 2016 ).…”

Determination of Optical Transmission Loss in Poly (3-Methyl Thiophene) Thin Film Planar Waveguide: Effect of Vapour Chopping

“…A characteristic feature is that the conductivity of these polymers can be varied from conducting to insulating range by means of proper doping. Polythiophenes distinguished as promising materials among various classes of conducting polymers, because of their good thermal and chemical stability, as well as of their optical and electronics properties, useful for various device applications such as LED [2], field effect transistors [3], optical waveguides [4], in optoelectronic devices [5], photovoltaic and photoconductive devices and optical modulator devices [6]. Polythiophenes have also been exploited in sensor applications [7].…”