Polymer relaxations determined by use of a temporally and thermally stable interferometer

We describe a phase-controlled, highly stable interferometer that is ideal for use in long-time and high-temperature studies. We recorded output intensity variations of <0.2% for over 6 h at temperatures up to 150 degrees C. The setup was used to study in situ the temperature and frequency characteristics of a thin polymer film composed of 4-dimethylamino-4?-nitrostilbene doped into poly(methyl methacrylate). The mobility of the dopant molecules, which governed the electro-optic property of the film, was used to probe the dye-doped polymer's rheology. We demonstrate one application of the interferometer in probing both the alpha and the beta relaxations of the polymer.