Recent Development of SnII, SbIII‐based Birefringent Material: Crystal Chemistry and Investigation of Birefringence

Abstract

AbstractThe combination of SnII or SbIII with π, non‐π‐conjugated units has produced birefringent crystals with birefringence ranging from 0.005 to 0.468@1064 nm. It is proven that introducing SnII or SbIII into crystals is a feasible strategy to enlarge the birefringence, which not only promotes the miniaturization of fabricated devices, but also effectively modulates polarized light. Herein, recently discovered SnII, SbIII‐based birefringent crystals with birefringence investigated are summarized, including their crystal structure and optical properties, especially birefringence. This review also presents the influence of SnII, SbIII with stereochemically active lone pair on the optical anisotropy. We hope that this work provides a clear perspective on the crystal chemistry of SnII, SbIII‐based optical functional crystals and promotes the development of new birefringent crystals with large optical anisotropy.