Photorefractive and nonlinear optical properties of indium(III) tetra(15-crown-5)phthalocyaninate-based composites

Photoelectric, nonlinear optical, and photorefractive properties of hybrid composite materials based on polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) and indium(III) 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-tetra(15-crown-5)phthalocyaninate [(15C5)4Pc]In(OH) are studied in detail. Field dependence of the quantum efficiency in a 7.8 μm-thick layer containing 5 at % [(15C5)4Pc]In(OH) is measured. The best approximation of the quantum efficiency with Onsager’s equation corresponds to a quantum yield of thermalized electron-hole pairs φ0 = 0.01 at initial separation r0 = 9.8 Å. Z-scan measurements in a nanosecond range showed that the electric susceptibility of [(15C5)4Pc]In(OH) solution in tetrachloroethane (TCE) with a concentration of 7 × 10−4 mol/L is χ(3) = 1.34 × 10−9 esu. The maximum coupling gain coefficient found for the material composed of PVK and 5 wt % [(15C5)4Pc]In(OH) at an electric-field intensity of 200 V/μm is Γ = 80 cm−1, and the difference between the coupling gain and absorption coefficients is Γ − α = 70 cm−1. The dependence of the coupling gain coefficient on the intensity ratio of interfering beams 1 and 2 (β = I1(0)/I2(0)) in a composite containing 3 wt % [(15C5)4Pc]In(OH) is measured. An increase in β was attained by decreasing intensity of the signal beam I2(0) at constant intensity of the pump beam I1(0) = 0.15 W/cm2 and E0 = 214 V/μm. Within the initial segment of the curve, the coupling gain coefficient increases from 30 to 60 cm−1; then, the coefficient drops almost to the initial value. The data obtained show that the composite materials studied can be used in practice for correcting faded images. The combined analysis of the results obtained and similar data for gallium and ruthenium tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyaninate complexes revealed the regularities in the change of the quantum yield of thermalized electron-hole pairs and the photorefractive coupling gain coefficient in a series of complexing metals: gallium(III), ruthenium(II), and indium(III). An increase in the molecular weight of the central metal atom is found to result in a substantial decrease in Γ and φ0 due to the increase in the spin-orbit coupling constant.