Organic thin film crystal growth for nonlinear optics: present methods and exploratory developments

We discuss different methods to grow organic single crystalline thin films from solution. Specifically, we address exploratory developments and apply them on the highly nonlinear material DAST (4′-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium tosylate) in a DAST/methanol system. We describe the nucleation and growth thermodynamics in solution using a solubility diagram and its Ostwald–Meiers metastable region. The important experimental parameters for bidimensional growth are discussed and first promising results are presented.