A variety of optically nonlinear tolan chromophores and epoxy based polymers containing them have been prepared and studied. The molecular hyperpolarizabilities of the dye chromophores have been measured by the EFISH technique while the polymers containing them have been examined by calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, dielectric spectroscopy as well as the appropriate linear and nonlinear optical techniques. Novel liquid crystalline behavior has been encountered in some of these monomers and polymers.

Guest-host polymer systems with potential use in electro-optic devices are discussed. The polymer host is a polyimide and the guest chromophores are 2,4,5-triarylimidazoles (lophines). Poling stabilities have been obtained by extrapolating the second harmonic generation decay using a stretched exponential function and extrapolated lifetimes greater than a year at 80 °C have been obtained. In addition, an apparent relationship between the stability of poled order and the glass transition temperature is discussed.