| Literature DB >> 20167746 |
Joel M Hales1, Jonathan Matichak, Stephen Barlow, Shino Ohira, Kada Yesudas, Jean-Luc Brédas, Joseph W Perry, Seth R Marder.
Abstract
All-optical switching applications require materials with large third-order nonlinearities and low nonlinear optical losses. We present a design approach that involves enhancing the real part of the third-order polarizability (gamma) of cyanine-like molecules through incorporation of polarizable chalcogen atoms into terminal groups, while controlling the molecular length to obtain favorable one- and two-photon absorption resonances that lead to suitably low optical loss and appreciable dispersion enhancement of the real part of gamma. We implemented this strategy in a soluble bis(selenopyrylium) heptamethine dye that exhibits a real part of gamma that is exceptionally large throughout the wavelength range used for telecommunications, and an imaginary part of gamma, a measure of nonlinear loss, that is smaller by two orders of magnitude. This combination is critical in enabling low-power, high-contrast optical switching.Entities:
Year: 2010 PMID: 20167746 DOI: 10.1126/science.1185117
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Science ISSN: 0036-8075 Impact factor: 47.728