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Nonlinear electrochromism

Electrochromism is a property of a material consisting in changes of the absorption spectrum occuring upon application of an electrical stimulus. In most cases the mechanism of the effect is electrochemical.

We have pioneered studies of a nonlinear optical analogue of electrochromism, the effect in which an electrical stimulus changes the nonlinear optical properties of a material. Applying an electrical field one can "switch" certain organometallic molecules btween different NLO states. For example, a two-photon absorber can become a saturable absorber, a self-defocussing material can become self-focusing etc.

Here are a few papers dealing with this subject:

 M.P. Cifuentes, C.E. Powell, M.G. Humphrey, G.A. Heath, M. Samoc and B. Luther-Davies, Organometallic Complexes for Nonlinear Optics. 24. Reversible electrochemical switching of nonlinear absorption, J. Phys. Chem. A 105, 9625-9627 (2001)

C.E. Powell, M.P. Cifuentes, J.P.L. Morrall, R. Stranger, M.G. Humphrey, M. Samoc, B. Luther-Davies and G.A. Heath Organometallic Complexes for Nonlinear Optics. Part 30. Electrochromic Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Alkynylbis{bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane}ruthenium Complexes,  J. Am. Chem. Soc, 125, 602-610 (2003)

C. E. Powell, M. G. Humphrey, J. P. Morrall, M. Samoc, and B. Luther-Davies, Organometallic Complexes for Nonlinear Optics. 33. Electrochemical Switching of the Third-Order Nonlinearity Observed by Simultaneous Femtosecond Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing and Pump-probe Measurements, J. Phys. Chem A, 107, 11264-11266 (2003)

M. Samoc, N. Gauthier, M. P. Cifuentes, F. Paul, C. Lapinte and M. G. Humphrey, Electrochemical Switching of the Cubic Nonlinear Optical Properties of an Aryldiethynyl-linked Heterobimetallic Complex between Three Distinct States, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, 45, 7376-7379 (2006), http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.200602684

G. T. Dalton, M. P. Cifuentes, S. Petrie, R. Stranger, M. G. Humphrey and M. Samoc, Independent Switching of Cubic Nonlinear Optical Properties in a Ruthenium Alkynyl Cruciform Complex By Employing Protic and Electrochemical Stimuli, J. Am.  Chem. Soc. 129(39),  11882-11883  (2007), http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja074205k