Influence of metal electronic and ligand properties on the second-order nonlinear optical response of organometallic complexes by hyper-Rayleigh scattering

Summary form only given. We report the first hyperpolarizability /spl beta/ of two homologous series of [M(PM-BiA)/sub 2/(NCS)/sub 2/] and [M(PM-2PEA)/sub 2/(NCS)/sub 2/] (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn) transition metal complexes. We studied the influence of the metal electronic configuration in octahedral geometry upon the second-order nonlinear response (NLO) on passing from closed-shell to open-shell electronic structures. The hyperpolarizability /spl beta/ of these molecules was determined in solution by means of the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser working at 1.06 /spl mu/m. It is important to notice that all these complexes do not fluoresce at 0.532 /spl mu/m.