Ultrafast optical nonlinearities and figures of merit in acceptor-substituted 3,4,5-trimethoxy chalcone derivatives: Structure-property relationships

Abstract

By performing both Z-scan and transient transmission measurements with 130 fs laser pulses in the near infrared region, we investigated structure-property relationships for χ(3) in acceptor-substituted 3,4,5-trimethoxy chalcone derivatives. We determined all nonlinear parameters, including two-photon absorption (2PA) cross section, 2PA-induced excited-state absorption (ESA) cross section, microscopic second-order hyperpolarizability, and lifetime of the excited state in these molecules. We found that the microscopic second-order hyperpolarizability γR and 2PA cross section σ2PA in chalcone derivatives increase as the acceptor strength of the molecules increases, which demonstrates an enhancement in optical nonlinearities by simple structural variations. We evaluated the one-photon, two-photon, and effective three-photon figures of merit for acetone solutions of chalcone derivatives at irradiance of 100 GW/cm2. Furthermore, we observed optical limiting behavior in these compounds, which result from both 2PA and 2PA-assisted ESA. These results indicated that chalcone derivatives are a promising candidate for applications on nonlinear photonic devices.

The optical limiting of blue and green ytterbium double-decker phthalocyanines in solution and in poly(acrylic acid) as thin films

“…The differences in the reduction of the transmittance for complexes 2a and 2b are attributed to the amount of excited state absorption, which occurs for lanthanide Pcs as shown elsewhere for GdPc [50]. The excited state absorption, in turn, is associated with two photon absorption [51][52][53], hence the employment of Eq. (1) for the simulation of mechanisms in the present study.…”

Third order nonlinear optical properties and crystal structures of (E)-1 (3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one

“…The optical limiting property of the DPTF molecule was studied by a standard OA Z-scan technique with measuring the (energy-dependent) optical transmission at the focus. 43 To study the optical power liming, the Nd:YAG laser beam operating at 532 nm was focused normally onto a sample solution of DPTF in a quartz cuvette of thickness 1 mm, by a convex lens of focal length of 21.5 cm. The sample could be moved back and forth along the optic axis in order to change the position of the focal point of the lens with respect to the sample.…”

Synthesis and detailed spectroscopic characterization of various hydroxy-functionalized fluorescent chalcones: A combined experimental and theoretical study

“…Chalcones are classified into symmetrical and asymmetrical donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) systems based on the electron-donating substituents attached to the aromatic rings at the end of the carbonyl functional group: Symmetrical D-A-D chalcones contain electron donors on both phenyl rings, while asymmetrical D-A-D chalcones have electron donors at only one of the two phenyl rings [9]. Hence, these molecules can show highly efficient intramolecular charge transfers, and thus they are particularly useful in the development of nonlinear optical systems (NLO materials) [10]. They are also used for ultrafast optical nonlinearities [11] and as absorption filters for UV light [12].…”