Abstract: To produce a composite membrane, the solution of a polymer in a volatile organic solvent is spread on water, the solvent is allowed to evaporate, the polymer is crosslinked and the polymer film formed is transferred to a porous support membrane. The polymer is preferably a polysiloxane which is cross-linked via polymer-bonded OH groups. The composite membrane is suitable, inter alia, for pervaporation.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula I ##STR1## in which R is a C.sub.1 - to C.sub.22 -alkyl radical,A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are hydrogen or methyl or,A.sup.1 is hydrogen and A.sup.2 is the nitro group, andB is the cyano group, the nitro group or an electron-attracting organic group having a double bond which is in conjugation with the thieno?3,2-b!thiophene ring system,have a high dipole moment and a high polarizability and are suitable for purposes of nonlinear optics. If R in the formula I is a C.sub.12 - to C.sub.22 -alkyl radical, monomolecular layers can be applied to a substrate by the Langmuir-Blodgett method. The resulting layer elements are suitable, inter alia, as waveguides.

Abstract: A composite membrane comprises a porous carrier membrane (A) and a fluorine-containing permselective layer (C) which is a copolymer and has a thickness of 10 to 500 nm. The copolymer of layer (C) comprisesa) 10 to 80 mol % of monomer units of a vinyl ester of the formula (I) ##STR1## in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are hydrogen, alkyl radicals, cycloalkyl radicals or aryl radicals, and these radicals together have at least 5 and not more than 30 carbon atoms,b1) 5 to 50 mol % of monomer units of a vinyl alcohol of the formula (II) ##STR2## in which R.sup.4 is the hydroxyl group and up to 10% of the groups R.sup.4 can be replaced by radicals of the formula OCOR.sup.5, in which R.sup.5 is methyl, ethyl or propyl, orb2) 5 to 50 mol % of monomer units of the formula (III) ##STR3## in which R.sup.

Abstract: A layer element carries on a base at least one regularly arranged monomolecular layer containing a fullerene and a polymeric amphiphilic compound, in particular a polymethacrylic ester derivative. It is suitable for purposes of nonlinear optics.

Abstract: A layer element carries on a base at least one regularly arranged monomolecular layer containing a fullerene and a polymeric amphiphilic compound, in particular a polymethacrylic ester derivative. It is suitable for purposes of nonlinear optics.

Abstract: An optical component comprises an electromagnetic radiation-transparent polymeric medium having a second-order susceptibility of at least 10.sup.-9 electrostatic units where this polymeric medium comprises compounds having polar-aligned noncentrosymmetric molecular dipoles which have as structural element an electron acceptor which is bound to an electron donor via a conjugated .pi.-electron system, which makes possible an oscillation of the molecular dipole between a ground state having a first dipole moment and an electronically excited state having a second dipole moment different from the first, and the nonionic polymeric medium comprises an alternating arrangement of at least one Langmuir-Blodgett film each of at least two different nonionic polymers having nonlinear optical properties. Besides high mechanical and chemical stability the optical component of the invention has excellent nonlinear optical properties, for example frequency-doubling.

Abstract: Substituted thieno[3,2-b]thiophenes, processes for their preparation and their useCompounds of the formula I ##STR1## in which R is a C.sub.1 - to C.sub.22 -alkyl radical,A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are hydrogen or methyl orA.sup.1 is hydrogen and A.sup.2 is the nitro group, andB is the cyano group, the nitro group or an electron-attracting organic group having a double bond which is in conjugation with the thieno[3,2-b]thiophene ring system,have a high dipole moment and a high polarizability and are suitable for purposes of nonlinear optics. If R in the formula I is a C.sub.12 - to C.sub.22 -alkyl radical, monomolecular layers can be applied to a substrate by the Langmuir-Blodgett method. The resulting layer elements are suitable, inter alia, as waveguides.

Abstract: In order to continuously produce an ultrathin, ordered layer of amphiphilic molecules on the surface of a polar liquid a directed flow of the polar liquid is produced in a duct which contains the amphiphilic molecules in dissolved or undissolved form on the surface in spread form. In the duct, a duct section having a relatively high flow rate on the surface and comprising a ramp which is arranged at the bottom of the duct and washed over by the polar liquid is provided. This is followed by a duct section having a relatively low flow rate on the surface, in which the flow is dammed up at an obstacle at a liquid level constant with time, so that an ultrathin, ordered layer of amphiphilic molecules is continuously formed in these duct sections at the polar liquid/air interface by compression of the flow. The washed over ramp is movable.

Abstract: A layer element comprises a plurality of monomolecular layers in a regular and alternating arrangement ABABAB . . . on a substrate, wherein A is a layer of a dye whose chromophore has a donor-acceptor structure and B is a layer of cellulose whose hydroxyl groups are at least partly substituted by the radical ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently of the other an alkyl radical of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R.sup.3 is an alkyl radical of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or phenyl, tolyl or benzyl. It is useful for nonlinear optics.

Abstract: Amphiphilic copolymers containing silanyl groups and composed of derivatives of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid are described, which copolymers are suitable for the production of layer elements by the Langmuir-Blodgett method. Layer elements of this type can be used for optical waveguide systems and for the production of optical filters and for lithographic purposes.

Abstract: The refractive index and thickness of ultrathin layers<1 .mu.m in thickness are determined by recording the layers, which have been applied to a solid support, by surface plasmon microscopy as a function of the angle of incidence of the incident laser beam, the method making it possible to determine layer thicknesses with a vertical resolution.gtoreq.0.1 nm and a simultaneous lateral resolution.gtoreq.5 .mu.m.

Abstract: The physical properties of thin films can be examined with the aid of polarized light with which the film to be examined is irradiated while the reflected or transmitted light is deflected in the direction of an imaging system, the polarized light having the effect of exciting waveguide modes in the film to be examined.

Abstract: Information stored in a thin polymer layer is read out in a process wherein information introduced into a thin polymer layer on a metallic or semiconductor layer by electromagnetic or particle rays which produce a permanent change in the properties of the polymer layer in the irradiated areas is read out using surface plasmons.

Abstract: A technique for examining surface structures which differ in respect of refractive index and/or height modulation of the surface comprises introducing these surface structures into a plasmon surface polariton field and scanning them by means of surface plasmon microscopy.