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Nonlinear Optical Probes and Processes in Polymers and Liquid ...

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6<br />

<strong>and</strong> orientation of nonl<strong>in</strong>ear chromophores under an electric field. Both photoconduc-<br />

tivity <strong>and</strong> chromophore orientation <strong>in</strong> polymers are complex processes that require<br />

separate theoretical treatments.<br />

The processes that contribute to photoconductivity <strong>in</strong>clude photogeneration of<br />

free charge, charge transport, trapp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> recomb<strong>in</strong>ation. Commonly used theo-<br />

retical models will be described for each of these processes <strong>in</strong> Section 2.2. Then,<br />

the microscopic model of the PR effect that comb<strong>in</strong>es all of the photoconductivity<br />

processes will be presented, <strong>and</strong> the theory of the PR effect will be elaborated. In par-<br />

ticular, I will consider the contribution of photogeneration, transport, trapp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong><br />

recomb<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> the dynamics of the PR grat<strong>in</strong>g formation. Both a semi-empirical<br />

approach <strong>and</strong> numerical simulations that model both photoconductivity <strong>and</strong> photore-<br />

fractive dynamical performance <strong>in</strong> PR polymers will be presented <strong>in</strong> Section 2.3.<br />

The orientational part of the PR effect <strong>in</strong>volves the ability of the chromophores<br />

(dipoles) to orient <strong>in</strong> both external <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal electric fields. The theory describ<strong>in</strong>g<br />

these properties <strong>in</strong> polymer composites will be summarized <strong>in</strong> Section 2.4. Later, <strong>in</strong><br />

Chapter 4, the experimental study of chromophore orientations will be presented.<br />

Chapter 3 is the experimental counterpart of Chapter 2. In this chapter, I will<br />

describe several photorefractive polymer composites <strong>and</strong> analyze their photoconduc-<br />

tive <strong>and</strong> photorefractive performance. The ma<strong>in</strong> experimental techniques used for<br />

studies of photogeneration, charge transport <strong>and</strong> other photoconductivity processes

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