Self-assembled organic supramolecular thin films for nonlinear optics

Abstract

We analyze the issues that must be considered on the road towards a practical fabrication method for organic nonlinear optical thin films. The advantages and disadvantages of the most useful techniques for producing nonlinear optical thin films are reviewed. We describe a promising molecular beam deposition techniques that has been developed in our laboratory for the growth of ordered supramolecular self-assembled thin films that are nonlinear optically active and maintain their polar order for large thicknesses.