C. G. Bethea

Bio: C. G. Bethea is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Hyperpolarizability. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 513 citations.

Second and third order hyperpolarizabilities of organic molecules

Abstract: We have used the technique of static field induced second harmonic generation in liquids to determine the second order hyperpolarizability β, and the third order hyperpolarizability γ, for a wide range of conjugated and nonconjugated organic molecules. The adequacy of the Onsager local field formulation was tested as was the accuracy of the bond additivity approximation. The large π‐electron nonlinearities which are possible in substituted benzene molecules were investigated by measuring a large number of benzene derivatives and subtracting out the σ‐electron contributions.

Hyperpolarizabilities of the nitroanilines and their relations to the excited state dipole moment

Abstract: We have measured the second and third order hyperpolarizabilities of the three nitroaniline isomers and of two related molecules. For some isomers the intramolecular charge transfer is found to cause a very large enhancement of the second order polarizabilities. We present a theory relating this contribution to the first excited state of energy, oscillator strength, and dipole moment of the molecules. Experimental results are accounted for with an excellent accuracy.

Optical nonlinearities of conjugated molecules. Stilbene derivatives and highly polar aromatic compounds

Abstract: We have investigated the influence of donor and acceptor substituents on the second and third order hyperpolarizabilities β and γ of large conjugated molecules such as stilbene and styrene derivatives. This was performed by two independent measurements of β and γ using the techniques of dc electric‐field induced second‐harmonic generation and tunable four‐wave mixing in liquids and solutions. For trans−stilbene derivatives, β and γ are typically 10 times larger than for the corresponding benzene compounds, and are strongly correlated with the mesomeric effect of the substituents. A series of disubstituted molecules with strong donor–acceptor intramolecular charge transfer exhibit very large β, and it is shown that this enhancement can be predicted from the basic properties of the first electronic excited state.

Organic Polymeric and Non-Polymeric Materials with Large Optical Nonlinearities

Abstract: Nonlinear optical properties are a sensitive probe of the electronic and solid-state structure of organic compounds and as a consequence find various applications in many areas of optoelectronics including optical communications, laser scanning and control functions, and integrated optics technology. Because of their strongly delocalized π electronic systems, polymeric and non-polymeric aromatic compounds show highly nonlinear optical effects. Nowadays, polymer chemists are able to tailor specific materials properties for various applications. Some organic substances with π electronic systems exhibit the largest known nonlinear coefficients, often considerably larger than those of the more conventional inorganic dielectrics and semiconductors, and thus show promise for thin-film fabrication, allowing the enormous function and cost advantages of integrated electronic circuitry. The electronic origins of nonlinear optical effects in organic π electronic systems are reviewed, with special emphasis being given to second-order nonlinear optical effects. Methods for measuring nonlinear optical responses are outlined, and the critical relationships of the propagation characteristics of light to observed nonlinear optical effects and to solid-state structure are discussed. Finally, the synthesis and characterization of organic crystals and polymer films with large second-order optical nonlinearities are summarized.

Size and shape dependent second order nonlinear optical properties of nanomaterials and their application in biological and chemical sensing.

Abstract: The development of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials has been driven by a multitude of important technological applications that can be realized if suitable materials are available 1–15. Future generations of optoelectronic devices for telecommunications, information storage, optical switching, and signal processing are predicted to a large degree on the development of materials with exceptional NLO responses 1–15. A large number of organic π-conjugated molecules have been investigated in the last thirty years for suitability to function as components in hypothetical NLO materials 1–19. Several books and reviews have appeared dealing with theory of nonlinear optics and the structural characteristics and applications of nonlinear optical molecules and materials 1–19. Truly, all-optical NLO effects were not discovered until the discovery of lasers. Second-harmonic generation (SHG) was first observed in a single crystal of quartz by Franken et.al. 20 in 1961. Parametric amplification was observed in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) by two-wave mixing in temperature-tuned single crystals 21. Rentzepis and Pao 22 made the first observation of SHG in an organic material, benzpyrene, in 1964. Heilmeir examined hexamethylenetetramine single crystal SHG in the same year 24. Two other organic materials followed rapidly: hippuric acid and benzil 25. Benzil was the first material that proved relatively easy to grow into large single crystals. Over the last two decades the study of nonlinear optical process in organic and polymer systems has enjoyed rapid and sustained growth 1–19, 25–39. One indication of the growth is the increase in the number of articles published in refereed society journals, as one can find from web of science 25, SCIFINDER 26 and Scopus 27 search. The four years period 1980–1983 saw the publication of 124 such articles. In the next four years period 1984–1987, the production of articles increased to 736 (nearly six times). From 1988–1992, the number of articles increased to more than 4000 25–27. In the last decade, academia, industry and government laboratories have been working in this field to replace electronics by photonics and as a result, the number of publications has reached more than 70,000 25–27. The rapid growth of the field is mainly due to the technological promise of these materials 1–19, 28–37. Traditionally, the materials used to measure second-order NLO behavior were inorganic crystals, such as lithium niobate (LiNbO3) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). The optical nonlinearity in these materials is to a large extent caused by the nuclear displacement in an applied electric field, and to a smaller extent by the movement of the electrons 1–10. This limits the bandwidth of the modulator. Organic materials have a number of advantages over inorganic materials for NLO applications 28–35. The ease of modification of organic molecular structures makes it possible to synthesize tailor-made molecules and to fine-tune the properties for the desired application 28–35. Unfortunately, not all organic materials display second-order NLO properties. At the molecular level, they need to be non-centrosymmetric. A large number of organic π-conjugated molecules have been investigated 1–9, 28–35 in the last twenty years. The outcome of the results has helped to establish certain guidelines for molecular design to get good second order NLO materials. However, roughly more than 80% of all π-conjugated organic molecules crystallize in centro-symmetric space groups 1–19, therefore producing materials with no second order bulk susceptibility. To overcome this limitation, organic NLO material doped or covalently attached in polymers, have been introduced by Dalton et. al 5,6,16,38–39. A few of these chromophores have served as components of functioning polymer-based optoelectronic devices; the physical properties of all these prototype materials possess one or more critical deficiencies that render commercialization of these systems impractical 28–39. These facts suggest that new types of molecular design are necessary if significant advances are to be realized. From 1998 onwards, researchers started effort on developing various nanomaterials, with high second order NLO properties and seeking for their applications in photonics as well as chemical and biological detection 40–106. The surface-enhanced phenomenon is predicted to have a particularly important impact in nonlinear optical NLO applications, since the generally weak nonlinear effects can be significantly increased via strong electromagnetic fields at the surfaces of metallic nanostructures 60–129. NLO based sensing have provided great potentials and opportunities for detecting different environmental toxins that exhibit some specific advantages, compared to other conventional and nanomaterial based techniques. Aim of this review is mainly to summarize and evaluate the achievements in development of nanoparticle based second order NLO materials with different sizes and shapes and it will focus on the following three major issues: (i) design of novel NLO active materials using nanoparticles (ii) nonlinear optical properties of single nanoparticle, nanoparticle aggregates and self assembly, and (iii) applications in chemical and biological sensing.