LIGHT-INDUCED 2ND-HARMONIC GENERATION IN AN OCTUPOLAR DYE

Quasi-permanent light-induced second-order susceptibility chi((2)) of octupolar molecules is demonstrated. The octupolar molecule Ethyl Viol et was oriented in a solgel matrix by a purely optical poling techniqu e. The method consists of a seeding process based on a nonclassical ho lographic process with coherent two-frequency mixing. The growth of th e induced chi((2)) is monitored in real time by frequency doubling of the fundamental The polarization dependence of the signal is used to d emonstrate the octupolar symmetry of the induced chi((2)). (C) 1995 Op tical Society of America