ABSTRACTWe measured the third-harmonic spectrum for a series of both centrosymmetric and noncentrosymmetric squaraine dyes in chloroform. By fitting the experimental dispersion of the third order susceptibility, γ, to a four-level sum-over-states model, we determined the strength and location of the lowest lying two-photon-like transition. In each case, we find that the lowest two-photon-like state appears just above the dominant linear absorption peak in energy and that the transition moment to that state makes a significant contribution to the nonlinearity, as do transition moments to one or more higher-lying two-photon-like states in the ultraviolet. The spectra of one centrosymmetric dye contains an additional feature evidencing a nonzero dipole moment difference between the ground and first excited state dipole moments (δμ) that we attribute to a conformational asymmetry. A noncentrosymmetric squaraine dye shows a similar feature, which, as expected, arises from its δμ. Effects of symmetry breaking are described.
Thermosensitive Fluorescent Liposomes