The thermal relaxation process of electro-optic (EO) polymers,, Disperse Red 1 (DR1)/PMMA guest/host polymer and side-chain copolymer DR1-PMMA (PMMA-co-DR1),, was studied using thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurement. For the guest/host polymer,, two TSDC peaks were identified at temperatures of -50°C and around 100°C due to dipolar depolarization. It was also suggested that the -peak is ascribed to disordering of guest DR1 molecules together with randomization of the main body of the PMMA. For the side-chain copolymer,, a simple relaxation process of the side-chain DR1 was observed in contrast with the guest/host polymer. Analyzing the TSDC,, we estimated the activation energy and relaxation times,, and discussed the relaxation mechanisms. Results showed that the TSDC method is available for evaluating the thermal stability of EO polymer.

doi:10.7567/JJAP.53.01AD04