Material and Optical Properties

Optical properties are usually related to the interaction of a material with electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range from IR to UV. As far as the linear optical response is concerned, the electronic and vibrational structure is included in the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function i(uj) or refractive index n(oj). However, these only provide information about states that can be reached from the ground state via one-photon transitions. Two-photon states, dark and spin forbidden states (e.g., triplet) do not contribute to n(u ). In addition little knowledge is obtained about relaxation processes in the material. A full characterization requires us to go beyond the linear approximation, considering higher terms in the expansion of h us) as a function of the electric field, since these terms contain the excited state contribution. 

Polythiophene derivative Ladder-type poly(p-phenylene) 

The experimental techniques adopted to measure linear and nonlinear optical properties are quite different and must be discussed separately. In broad terms, linear properties can be measured using low intensity probes and high spectral resolution. They are usually understood in the frequency domain. Nonlinear responses on the contrary need very large intensities, typically achieved in short pulses, and are discussed in the time domain. In addition to these physical considerations, we have to remember that time-resolved spectroscopy and optical characterization usually require good optical quality samples, so our understanding of the physics of these materials is closely linked to their quality. 

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Nonlinear Organic Crystals Theoretical Concepts, Materials, and Optical Properties... 

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