Recent progress of organic nonlinear optics in Japan

In the field of nonlinear optics (NLO), the organic materials are relative newcomers compared to inorganic single crystals and semiconductors. In this paper, we give a review on the recent progress of organic NLO in Japan. This includes: (1) molecular design strategies, (2) thin-film forming techniques, (3) phase-matching methods, (4) single crystals for blue second-harmonic generation, (5) electro-optic polymers. We show a number of achievements on organic NLO that have been obtained in Japan; further studies should be done to realize practical applications of organic NLO.