The effect of dendritic substituents on a nonlinear optical chromophore for optical power limiting (OPL) has been investigated. Synthesis and characterization of bis((4-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)ethynyl)bis-(tributylphosphine)platinum(II) with dendritic end groups are described. Polyester dendrimers up to the fourth generation were grown divergently using the anhydride of 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA). The introduction of the dendritic moieties onto the NLO chromophore enables further processing of the materials using polymeric and related techniques. OPL measurements performed at 532, 580, and 630 nm show that the OPL properties improve with increasing size of the dendritic substituent. It is also shown that the addition of the dendrons increase the OPL as compared to the nondecorated bis((4-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)ethynyl)bis-(tributylphosphine)platinum(II). By use of femtosecond z-scan measurements carried out at different pulse-repetition frequencies, it is shown that the two-photon absorption cross section is ∼10 GM. Using pulse repetition frequencies (100 kHz-4.75 MHz) so that the time between the pulses is comparable with the triplet excited lifetime, the z-scans become dominated by excited-state absorption of excited triplet states.

A model equation governing the amplitude of the electric field in an array of coupled optical waveguides embedded in a material with Kerr nonlinearities is derived and explored. The equation is an extended discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation with intersite nonlinearities. Attention is turned towards localized solutions and investigations are made from the viewpoint of the theory of discrete breathers (DBs). Stability analysis reveals an inversion of stability between stationary one-site and symmetric or antisymmetric two-site solutions connected to bifurcations with a pair of asymmetric intermediate DBs. The stability inversion leads to the existence of high-intensity narrow mobile solutions, which can propagate essentially radiationless. The direction and transverse velocity of the mobile solutions can be controlled by appropriate perturbations. Such solutions may have an important application for multiport switching, allowing unambiguous selection of output channel. The derived equation also supports compact DBs, which in some sense yield the best possible solutions for switching purposes.

Optical power limiting and luminescence properties of two Pt(II) complexes with thiophenyl and phenyl groups in the ligands, trans-Pt(P(n-Bu)3)2(C[triple bond]C-Ar)2, where Ar = -C4H2S-C[triple bond]C-p-C6H4-n-C5H11 (1) and -p-C6H4-C[triple bond]C-C4H3S (2), have been investigated. The fluorescence lifetimes were found to be on the sub-nanosecond time scale, and the quantum yields were low, in accord with fast intersystem crossing from the excited singlet to triplet manifold. The phosphorescence lifetimes of 1 and 2 were shorter than that of a Pt(II) complex having two phenyl groups in the ligands. In order to elucidate the C-Pt bonding nature in the ground state, the 13C NMR chemical shift of the carbon directly bonded to Pt, the coupling constants 1JPtC, 2JPtC, and 1JPtP, and IR nuC[triple bond]C wavenumbers were obtained for 1, 2, and three other trans-diarylalkynyl Pt(II) complexes. X-ray diffraction data of 1 and 2 and density functional theory calculated geometries of models of 1, 2, and trans-Pt(P(n-Bu)3)2(C[triple bond]C-p-C6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H5)2 (3) show that 1 preferably exists in a different conformation from that of 2 and 3. The variations in photophysical, NMR, and IR data can be rationalized by differences in geometry and pi-backbonding from Pt to the alkynyl ligand.