Reversible Photoswitching of Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties in an Organic Photochromic Crystal

Abstract

Noncentrosymmetric crystals of photochromic N-salicylidene-4-bromoaniline are obtained and studied for their second-order nonlinear optical properties. Second harmonic light is generated and can be seen by the naked eye. Moreover, photochromism in the bulk state yields totally reversible photoswitching of the second harmonic intensity.