Sterically stabilized second-order nonlinear optical chromophores and devices incorporating the same

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group,
• an electron acceptor group, and
• a bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group, the bridge structure including an alicyclic ring;
• wherein the electron acceptor group is connected to the bridge structure with a conjugated diene.

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group (D),
• an electron acceptor group (A), and
• a ring-locked bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group;
• wherein the ring-locked bridge structure is formed as
• wherein R1 to R3=H, —CnH2n+1, n=1-30 including primary, secondary, tertiary and any branched alkyl groups, or any alkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms functionalized with one or more of the following functional groups:
• hydroxy, ether, ester, amino, silyl, siloxy.

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group (D),
• an electron acceptor group (A), and
• a ring-locked bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group;
• wherein the ring-locked bridge structure is formed as
• wherein R1 to R6=H, —CnH2n+1, n=1-30 including primary, secondary, tertiary and any branched alkyl groups, or any alkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms functionalized with one or more of the following functional groups:
• hydroxy, ether, ester, amino, silyl, siloxy.

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group (D),
• an electron acceptor group (A), and
• a ring-locked bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group;
• wherein the ring-locked bridge structure is formed as
• wherein R1 to R9=H, —CnH2n+1, n=1-30 including primary, secondary, tertiary and any branched alkyl groups, or any alkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms functionalized with one or more of the following functional groups:
• hydroxy, ether, ester, amino, silyl, siloxy.

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group,
• a ring-locked tricyano electron acceptor group, and
• a bridge structure between the electron donor group and the ring-locked tricyano electron acceptor group.

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group,
• an electron acceptor group, and
• a bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group, the bridge structure including a bithiophene unit formed as
• wherein R1 to R4=H, —CnH2n+1, n=1-30 including primary, secondary, tertiary and any branched alkyl groups, or any alkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms functionalized with one or more of the following functional groups:
• hydroxy, ether, ester, amino, silyl, siloxy;
• wherein the bridge structure further includes a 1,3-dioxin derivative formed as
• wherein R1, and R2=H, —CnH2n+1, n=1-30 including primary, secondary, tertiary and any branched alkyl groups, or any alkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms functionalized with one or more of the following functional groups:
• hydroxy, ether, ester, amino, silyl, siloxy.

A nonlinear optical device comprising:

• an active element formed from a chromophore including
• an electron donor group,
• an electron acceptor group, and
• a bridge structure between the electron donor group and the electron acceptor group, the bridge structure including a bithiophene unit formed as
• wherein R1 to R4=H, —CnH2n+1, n=1-30 including primary, secondary, tertiary and any branched alkyl groups, or any alkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms functionalized with one or more of the following functional groups:
• hydroxy, ether, ester, amino, silyl, siloxy;
• wherein the electron acceptor group comprises a tricyano electron acceptor group comprising: