NEW CLASS OF PLANAR-LOCKED POLYENE DYES FOR NONLINEAR OPTICS

A combination of strategies for optimizing the molecular hyperpolariza bility have been employed in the design of the molecules reported here : an aromatic moiety is linked to a planar-fixed polyene chain. The sy nthesis and nonlinear optical (NLO) characterization (absorption and e lectric-field-induced second harmonic generation) of the materials are described and their NLO properties compared-favorably-with those of 4 '-dimethylamino-4-nitrostilbene, the prototypical organic material for electrooptic devices based on poled polymers.