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Updated: Sep 30, 2026

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
Published on: February 4, 2017
Strategic placement of stereogenic centers in molecular materials for second harmonic generation
P Gangopadhyay1, D Narayana Rao, Israel Agranat
1School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, India.
Abstract:
Basic aspects of the nonlinear optical phenomenon of second harmonic generation (SHG) and the assembly of molecular materials for SHG are reviewed. Extensive use of chirality as a convenient tool to generate noncentrosymmetricity in molecular lattices, an essential requirement for the development of quadratic nonlinear optical materials, is noted. An overview of our investigations of chiral diaminodicyanoquinodimethanes is presented, which provides insight into a systematic approach to the effective deployment of chirality to achieve optimal molecular orientations for enhanced solid state SHG. Extension of these ideas to the realization of strong SHG in materials based on helical superstructures is outlined.
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