Development of fully functionalized photorefractive polymers

In this article, we review recent progress in the area of photorefractive polymers. Photorefractive (PR) polymers are multifunctional materials which combine photoconductivity and electro-optic response to show a new phenomenon: light-induced reversible modulation of the refractive index. Because of their multifunctional features, design, synthesis and preparation of these materials exhibiting high performance is an intellectual challenge. Moreover, numerous applications of photorefractive materials in optical devices have been established using inorganic materials. Utilizing the unique features of organic polymeric materials to prepare useful devices is an engineering challenge. In the past several years, research in this area has gained momentum because numerous new materials which possess better characteristic photorefractive parameters than their inorganic counterparts have been synthesized. Several interesting devices have been presented. Two different approaches have been developed to synthesize and prepare PR polymers, namely composite materials and fully functionalized polymers. Both approaches have had success in identifying new materials and in gaining understanding of the design principles of better materials. This paper discusses these aspects and gives a prospective view about this field.