SUB-T(G) RELAXATION BEHAVIOR OF CORONA-POLED NONLINEAR OPTICAL POLYMER-FILMS AND VIEWS ON PHYSICAL AGING

The complete synthesis and characterization of a poly(methyl methacrylate-co-coumaromethacrylate) is described. Thin films of this polymer were corona-poled and aged under various conditions. The intensity of second harmonic light, generated by passing a laser beam through the polarized films, indicated the average degree of dipole alignment in the films as a function of time and temperature. The long-term aging data were fit with biexponential and stretched exponential equations. A model based on diffusion of defects (holes) in a locally heterogeneous glassy matrix is discussed.