Optical nonlinearities in dendrimeric systems

Summary form only given. At high levels of irradiation, energy harvesting dendrimers can exhibit novel forms of optical nonlinearity. Such behaviour is associated with the direct pooling of excitation energy, a process well-known in other systems such as lanthanide-doped lattices. The pooling enables secondary acceptors to undergo transitions to states whose energy equals that of two or more input photons, subject to decay losses. A recently developed theory, established through deployment of an innovative diagrammatic technique, has made it possible to identify the underlying principles of these processes and a logical application to dendrimeric materials can be undertaken. Key issues include chromophore layout and geometry, electronic structure and optical selection rules. The implication of these factors in dendrimeric design, and the possibility of new applications for nanostars in intense laser fields, are discussed. The creation of excitons within such systems is also addressed.