| abstract |
Method for the generation of second order nonlinear optical effects, including second harmonic generation, which comprises the steps of: i preparing a material in an xy planar film or xyz tridimensional form on a substrate and placing parallel electrodes on top of, inside, above or below said material, such that there is no protrusion of said electrodes into said material or a protrusion of at least one of said electrodes into said material is thinner than said material, wherein said material comprises at least one species of a hyperpolarizable component (a) and at least one species of a glass-forming organic material (b) providing a non-crystalline solid matrix in which molecules are not mobile, said components (a) and (b) being either distinct species or portions of a bifunctional molecule; ii subjecting said material of step (i) to an electric field essentially along the x-axis thereof; and iii directing a beam of light to impinge on and to be transmitted through said material treated as in step (ii), thus generating second order nonlinear optical effects which are characterized by one or more X(2) components whose indices are zzz, zxx, zyy and permutations thereof. |