Design of organic chromophores for all-optical signal processing applications

Organic materials possess many key attributes that make them suitable for exploitation in all-optical signal processing applications including facile tunability of their optical properties, strong and ultrafast nonlinear optical response, and potential for integration into device structures. In this perspective, we present molecular design guidelines for organic chromophores that could serve as the active constituents for such materials. Using a relatively simple model, a candidate class of chromophores, namely cyanine-like polymethines, is identified based on promising microscopic nonlinear optical properties in the near-IR spectral region. The challenges associated with translating these microscopic properties into materials with macroscopic properties suitable for device applications are presented along with molecular engineering approaches for overcoming these hurdles.