Abstract
Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have gained much attention during the last two decades owing to their potentiality in the field of optical data storage, optical information processing, optical switching, and telecommunication. NLO responsive macroscopic devices possess extensive applications in our day to day life. Such devices are considered as assemblies of several macroscopic components designed to achieve specific functions. The extension of this concept to the molecular level forms the basis of molecular devices. In this context, the design of NLO switches, that is, molecules characterized by their ability to alternate between two or more chemical forms displaying contrasts in one of their NLO properties, has motivated many experimental and theoretical works. Thus, this chapter focuses on the rational design of molecular NLO switches based on stimuli and materials with extensive examples reported in the literature. The factors affecting the efficiency of optical switches are discussed. The device fabrication of optical switches and their efficiency based on the optical switch, internal architecture, and substrate materials are described. In the end, applications of switches and future prospectus of designing new molecules with references are suitably discussed.
Highlights
There is a strong demand for the advancement of high-performance Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, owing to the emergence of photonic technologies in the area of telecommunication where the information is coded, transported, and routed through optically
The design of NLO switches based molecules, which are characterized by their ability to alternate between two or more chemical forms displaying contrasts in one of their NLO properties, has motivated much experimental and theoretical work [4, 5]
In NLO switches, most of the systems synthesized to date are π-conjugated donor-acceptor molecules, which consist of strong electron-donor (D) and electron-acceptor (A) groups anchored onto a π-conjugated linker
Summary
There is a strong demand for the advancement of high-performance NLO materials, owing to the emergence of photonic technologies in the area of telecommunication where the information is coded, transported, and routed through optically. Optical switches play the role of protecting, testing, monitoring, and management of the network In this context, the design of NLO switches based molecules, which are characterized by their ability to alternate between two or more chemical forms displaying contrasts in one of their NLO properties, has motivated much experimental and theoretical work [4, 5]. Understanding these, researchers have been tried to synthesize and characterize the several molecular NLO switches that differ by the stimulus used to provoke the commutation. These stimuli can include light irradiation, redox reaction, pH variation, ion recognition, and others. The prime objective of the chapter was to examine the different systems with particular reference to their photophysical properties as well as the switching mechanism at the molecular level
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