Non-linear Stark effect in polyazomethine and poly(p-phenylene-vinylene): The interconnection of chemical and electronic structure

We report electroabsorption studies on poly( p-phenylene-vinylene) and polyazomethine over a large spectral range from 1.3 eV to 5 eV. Since these polymers are isoelectronic they provided an excellent test bed for an investigation into the interconnection between chemical and electronic structure. A proposal for the electronic energy levels including even-parity states is presented. The electroabsorption studies reveal that the introduction of nitrogen into the polymer chain considerably reduces the optical non-linearity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.