Optical Parameters and Absorption of Azo Dye and Its Metal-Substituted Compound Thin Films

We determine the complex refractive indices N(N= n-ik), dielectric constants ε(ε=ε1 - iε2), and absorption coefficients a of a new azo dye 2-(6-methyl-2-benzothlazolyazo)-5-diethylaminophenol(MBADP)]-doped polymer and its nickel- and zinc-substituted compounds(Ni-MBADP and Zn-MBADP) spin-coated thin films from a scan-ning ellipsometer in the wavelength 400-700 nm region. Metal chelation strongly (about one times) enhances the optical and dielectric parameters at the peaks and results in a large bathochromic shift (50-60nm) of absorption band. Bathochromic shift of Ni-MBADP is about 1Ohm larger than that of Zn-MBADP due to different spatialconfigurations formed in the metal-azo complexes.