Abstract: | In this study, photorefractive polymer composites were developed in which polycarbonate was doped with a dual-function dopant and a photocharge generation sensitizer. The dual-function dopant has the function of providing both charge transport and optical nonlinearity. The composites' photoconductivity and electrooptic coefficient were investigated experimentally. The effects of the glass-transition temperature (Tg), dual-function dopant content, and electric field on the composites' photorefractive properties were studied as well. The results show that the composites' photorefractive properties are enhanced with decreasing Tg, increasing dual-function dopant content, and increasing electric field. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 3302–3306, 1999 |