Nonlinear optical chromophores having thiophene-containing bridging groups between the electron-donating and electron-accepting ends of the chromophore are disclosed, including bridging groups which contain cyclic moieties in combination with conjugated double bonds between the electron-donating and electron-accepting ends of the chromophore.

The present invention provides an electro-optic polymer (EO polymer) comprising an electro-optic molecule (EO molecule) and a base polymer. The EO polymer of the present invention has good performance over the entire optical communication wavelength range and therefore can preferably be used for the production of optical modulators, optical switches, optical transceivers, optical phased arrays, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) devices, electric field sensors, terahertz wave generators and detectors, etc.

Chromophores with large hyperpolarizabilities, films with electro-optic activity comprising the chromophores, and electro-optic devices comprising the chromophores are disclosed.

The present invention provides an electro-optic polymer (EO polymer) comprising an electro-optic molecule (EO molecule) and a base polymer, the EO molecule having a structure in which a -electron donor and a -electron acceptor are conjugated via a 7-conjugation bridge, the EO polymer having an electro-optic coefficient (EO coefficient) of 30 pm/V or more and a figure of merit (FOM) of 1010.sup.6 cm/dBV or more in an entire optical communication wavelength range of 1260 nm to 1625 nm, the FOM being defined by the following formula:

[00001]$\mathrm{FOM}=\frac{n^{3}r}{a_{\max }}\left[{10}^{-6}\mathrm{cm}/\mathrm{dBV}\right]$

wherein n indicates a refractive index, indicates an EO coefficient, a.sub.max indicates a maximum absorption coefficient in a wavelength range of interest, and indicates a wavelength.

The EO polymer of the present invention has good performance over the entire optical communication wavelength range and therefore can preferably be used for the production of optical modulators, optical switches, optical transceivers, optical phased arrays, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) devices, electric field sensors, terahertz wave generators and detectors, etc.

Chromophores with large hyperpolarizabilities, films with electro-optic activity comprising the chromophores, and electro-optic devices comprising the chromophores are disclosed.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals.

Electro-optic (EO) devices having an EO polymer core comprising a first host polymer and a first nonlinear optical chromophore (NLOC); and a cladding comprising a second host polymer and a second NLOC, and methods of preparing the same; wherein the first NLOC has a first bridge covalently bonded to an electron-accepting group and an electron-donating group; wherein the second NLOC has a second bridge covalently bonded to an electron-accepting group and an electron-donating group; and wherein the second bridge is less conjugated than the first bridge such that the cladding has an index of refraction that is less than that of the EO polymer core, and wherein the second NLOC is present in the second host polymer in a concentration such that the cladding has a conductivity equal to or greater than at least 10% of the conductivity of the EO polymer core at a poling temperature.

The present disclosure is directed, in general, to (1) nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores containing furanyl accepting groups, including (2) compositions/materials/resistive layers comprising NLO chromophores containing furanyl accepting groups, and the methods of making the compositions/materials/resistive layers comprising NLO chromophores containing furanyl accepting groups (e.g., methods of drying and/or poling, and the like), (3) uses of NLO chromophores containing furanyl accepting groups in electro-optic devices (e.g., EOMs).