ABSTRACT
The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal growth of research on nonlinear optical effects in polymers and organic materials in terms of interesting basic physics as well as potential applications in optical information processing. According to Garito et al. [1], there was a sixfold increase in the number of research papers published during 1990-1993 compared to the same period a decade earlier. A concerted effort is in progress to understand the basic processes responsible for the nonlinear optical response of macrocyclic and long-chain molecules. Current developments in the synthesis of novel chemical structures with emphasis on molecular design to tailor and optimize a material's response while preserving chemical, mechanical, optical, and thermal stability inherent in organic materials have spurred significant advances in this field. Furthermore, the compatibility of properties of the materials with the requirements of current technological and manufacturing processes and applications coupled with their outstanding nonlinear optical properties has made organic and polymeric materials first-rate candidates for device applications in the emerging photonics technologies.
