Experimental second-order nonlinear optics in molecular switching

Abstract

This paper focuses on a few of the intricacies when relating theoretical calculations of first hyperpolarizabilities to experimental observables in second-order nonlinear optics. This is important for both theoreticians and experimentalists, as it provides for a better understanding of what the level of sophistication should be for the theory versus the experimental precision attainable in nonlinear optical experiments with pulsed lasers, but also to appreciate that there are limitations and assumptions that are imposed by the nature of the experiment.