Novel polymer nanocomposites with giant dynamical optical nonlinearity

The giant optical nonlinearity of a novel organic nanocomposite based on a conducting polymer, namely, poly(9-vinylcarbazole), and quinone derivatives as a charge photogenerator is investigated. The change in the refractive index of a thin polymer film (60 μm thick) is determined to be Δn = −7.3 × 10−3. The inference is made that the origin of the optical nonlinearity is associated with the difference between the polarizabilities of the quinone molecule and the quinone radical anion formed under exposure to laser radiation. The optical nonlinearity is examined using two methods: (i) the self-action of a Gaussian beam in a layer of the material and (ii) Z-scan measurements of a thin film at a wavelength of 633 nm. These nanocomposite materials can serve as active media in diverse applications, including image processing, high-density optical information storage, and phase conjugation.