Materials nonlinear optical devices

The above conclusions introduce intrinsic limitations to the use of the ID conjugated systems in nonlinear optical devices. Although these may benefit (38) from the high nonlinearities,their response speed will be limited by the motion of such defects. These may also be formed by other means than light and this will clearly have implications on photoelastic, pyroelectric and piezoelectric effects as well. We point out that materials like polydiacetylenes may show appreciable quadrupolar pyroelectric effect (39). 

The linear and nonlinear optical properties of one-dimensional conjugated polymers contain a wealth of information closely related to the structure and dynamics of the ir-electron distribution and to their interaction with the lattice distorsions. The existing values of the nonlinear susceptibilities indicate that these materials are strong candidates for nonlinear optical devices in different applications. However their time response may be limited by the diffusion time of intrinsic conjugation defects and the electron-phonon coupling. Since these defects arise from competition of resonant chemical structures the possible remedy is to control this competition without affecting the delocalization. The understanding of the polymerisation process is consequently essential. 

Two of the advantages of using such materials are flexibility in the fabrication of optical structures and the tailoring of optical properties through material engineering. For application in guided-wave nonlinear optical devices high optical quality and low dielectric constant are but two of the requisite properties. 

It is clear that this volume is truly different from the preceding accounts. Photochemists will appreciate Volume 2 as a nice complement to Volume 1, although it can be read independently. Organic photochromic systems are known for their applications in variable-transmission optical materials, ophthalmic lenses, authentification devices (photochromic inks), and novelty items, but they also have great potential in any domain where reversible physical properties are desired (optical memories, gradation masking, optoelectronic systems, nonlinear optical devices, etc.). This book is thus strongly recommended to anyone interested in materials science. 

Polymer-embedded gold nanoparticles have been extensively studied [1]. Because of unique physical characteristics, gold-polymer nanocomposites are potentially useful for a number of advanced functional applications, especially in the optical and photonic fields. In particular, these materials can be used as light-stable color filters [2], polarizers [3, 4], ultra-low refractive index materials [5], nonlinear optical devices [6], optical sensors [7], and so on. However, still limited are the chemical routes that allow us to obtain monodispersed thiol-derivatized gold nanoparticles with controlled size to be embedded into poly-... 

Almost inexhaustible possibilities for synthesizing new compounds or mixtures of liquid crystals, or liquid crystals and other organic molecular systems, for optimizing material nonlinear optical responses or device performance. 

Ferroelectric crystals (especially oxides in the form of ceramics) are important basic materials for technological applications in capacitors and in piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and optical devices. In many cases their nonlinear characteristics turn out to be very useful, for example in optical second-harmonic generators and other nonlinear optical devices. In recent decades, ceramic thin-film ferroelectrics have been utilized intensively as parts of memory devices. Liquid crystal and polymer ferroelectrics are utilized in the broad field of fast displays in electronic equipment. 

Nanostructured clusters of semiconductors and metals, which differ from the corresponding bulk material due to surface, shape, and quantum size effects, have been designed to possess unique properties due to electron confinement. The unique properties of nanosized metal particles can be utilized in a broad range of fields, from catalysis to optical filters as well as nonlinear optical devices. To understand how nanoclusters can be combined with dendrimers, first let s summarize general properties of dendrimers. 

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