Nonlinear Optics for Photonics and Information Technology Applications

The ease with which electrons can delocalize along π-conjugated chromophores upon application of an electro-magnetic field makes these compounds ideally suited for nonlinear optical (NLO) applications and their incorporation into photonic or electro-optic devices.

Our computational work seeks to establish structure-NLO property relationships and to design chromophores with outstanding nonlinear (second- and third-order response) optical properties.

Major efforts are currently devoted to the development of chromophores with high two-photon absorption cross-sections - that is, chromophores that present the ability to absorb two photons simultaneously. Working with our experimental collaborators, we characterize new π-conjugated systems for applications in biosensing and nanofabrication. Efforts are also underway to detail non-resonant third-order nonlinear optical effects of interest in all-optical signal processing and optical computing.

Research highlights:
  • Synthesis And Two-Photon Spectrum Of A Bis(Porphyrin)-Substituted Squaraine, Odom, SA; Webster, S; Padilha, LA; Peceli, D; Hu, H; Nootz, G; Chung, SJ; Ohira, S; Matichak, JD; Przhonska, OV; Kachkovski, AD; Barlow, S; Bredas, JL; Anderson, HL; Hagan, DJ; Van Stryland, EW; Marder, SR, Journal Of The American Chemical Society, 131, 7510 [2009]
  • A New Class Of Cyanine-Like Dyes With Large Bond-Length Alternation, Ohira, S; Hales, JM; Thorley, KJ; Anderson, HL; Perry, JW; Bredas, JL, Journal Of The American Chemical Society, 131, 6099 [2009]
  • Design Of Emission Ratiometric Metal-Ion Sensors With Enhanced Two-Photon Cross Section And Brightness, Sumalekshmy, S; Henary, MM; Siegel, N; Lawson, PV; Wu, Y; Schmidt, K; Bredas, JL; Perry, JW; Fahrni, CJ, Journal Of The American Chemical Society, 129, 11888 [2007]
    • Recent papers on non-linear optics:
  • Porphyrin Dimers: A Theoretical Understanding Of The Impact Of Electronic Coupling Strength On The Two-Photon Absorption Properties, Ohira, S; Bredas, JL, Journal Of Materials Chemistry, 19, 7545-7550 [2009]
  • Photophysical Properties Of An Alkyne-Bridged Bis(Zinc Porphyrin)-Perylene Bis(Dicarboximide) Derivative, Odom, SA; Kelley, RF; Ohira, S; Ensley, TR; Huang, C; Padilha, LA; Webster, S; Coropceanu, V; Barlow, S; Hagan, DJ; Van Stryland, EW; Bredas, JL; Anderson, HL; Wasielewski, MR; Marder, SR, Journal Of Physical Chemistry A, 113, 10826-10832 [2009]
  • Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Nonlinear Optics, And Theoretical Investigations Of Thienylethynyl Octopoles With A Tunable Core, Oliva, MM; Casado, J; Navarrete, JTL; Hennrich, G; van Cleuvenbergen, S; Asselberghs, I; Clays, K; Delgado, MCR; Bredas, JL; de Melo, JSS; De Cola, L, Chemistry-A European Journal, 15, 8223-8234 [2009]
  • Dipolar Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Chromophores Containing Ferrocene, Octamethylferrocene, And Ruthenocene Donors And Strong Pi-Acceptors: Crystal Structures And Comparison Of Pi-Donor Strengths, Kinnibrugh, TL; Salman, S; Getmanenko, YA; Coropceanu, V; Porter, WW; Timofeeva, TV; Matzger, AJ; Bredas, JL; Marder, SR; Barlow, S, Organometallics, 28, 1350-1357 [2009]
  • Electronic And Vibronic Contributions To Two-Photon Absorption In Donor-Acceptor-Donor Squaraine Chromophores, Ohira, S; Rudra, I; Schmidt, K; Barlow, S; Chung, SJ; Zhang, Q; Matichak, J; Marder, SR; Bredas, JL, Chemistry-A European Journal, 14, 11082-11091 [2008]
  • Order Of Magnitude Effects Of Thiazole Regioisomerism On The Near-Ir Two-Photon Cross-Sections Of Dipolar Chromophores, Schmidt, K; Leclercq, A; Zojer, E; Lawson, PV; Jang, SH; Barlow, S; Jen, AKY; Marder, SR; Bredas, JL, Advanced Functional Materials, 18, 794-801 [2008]
  • Materials for Multiphoton 3D Microfabrication, Marder, SR; Bredas, JL; Perry, JW, Mrs Bulletin, 32, 561-565 [2007]
  • Efficient Acceptor Groups For Nlo Chromophores: Competing Inductive And Resonance Contributions In Heterocyclic Acceptors Derived From 2-Dicyanomethylidene-3-Cyano-4,5,5-Trimethyl-2,5-Dihydrofuran, Schmidt, K; Barlow, S; Leclercq, A; Zojer, E; Jang, SH; Marder, SR; Jen, AKY; Bredas, JL, Journal Of Materials Chemistry, 17, 2944-2949 [2007]
  • High Two-Photon Cross-Sections In Bis(Diarylaminostyryl) Chromophores With Electron-Rich Heterocycle And Bis(Heterocycle)Vinylene Bridges, Zheng, SJ; Beverina, L; Barlow, S; Zojer, E; Fu, J; Padilha, LA; Fink, C; Kwon, O; Yi, YP; Shuai, ZG; Van Stryland, EW; Hagan, DJ; Bredas, JL; Marder, SR, Chemical Communications, , 1372-1374 [2007]
  • Comparison Of Static First Hyperpolarizabilities Calculated With Various Quantum Mechanical Methods, Isborn, CM; Leclercq, A; Vila, FD; Dalton, LR; Bredas, JL; Eichinger, BE; Robinson, BH, Journal Of Physical Chemistry A, 111, 1319-1327 [2007]