Magneto-optical Materials and Polymers: Determining Structure Property Relationships

An emerging application of high polarizability polymers and extended π-conjugated systems is the detection of magnetic fields using the Faraday Effect. New materials with improved performance can be used to measure trace magnetic fields using an optical based sensor. In pursuit of new high-performance materials, we have been engaged in a program measuring the Faraday rotations of both molecular and polymeric systems. The ultimate designs are still elusive, however I will present studies guided by general considerations. These include the ability to create non-birefringent films (at least along the direction of light propagation), with degenerate or near degenerate electronic transitions, and a perpendicular orientation of the electronic and magnetic transition dipoles/moments. Chirality plays a role in these processes and our investigations of chiral (helical) polymers will be detailed.