Optical Kerr shutter performance of a solution of organic nonlinear optical material

An optical Kerr shutter with much higher efficiency than the conventional CS/sub 2/ liquid is demonstrated, utilizing a solution of pi -conjugated monomer material. Third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility chi /sup (3)/ of the solution is evaluated by the efficiency of the Kerr shutter operation. The chi /sup (3)/ value of the solution depends on the molecular density, the molecular orientation behavior, and the dielectric constant of the solvent. To utilize these effects most efficiently, 4'-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium methylsulfate is dissolved in formamide to the saturation concentration. This results in chi /sup (3)/=3.0*10/sup -12/ esu and a Kerr shutter transmission of four times that of CS/sub 2/.>