Synthesis, characterization and studies on the nonlinear optical parameters of hydrazones

Three hydrazones, 2-(4-methylphenoxy)-N′-[(1E)-(4-nitrophenyl)methylene]acetohydrazide (compound-1), 2-(4-methylphenoxy)-N′-[(1E)-(4-methylphenyl)methylene]acetohydrazide ((compound-2) and N′-{(1E)-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]methylene}-2-(4-ethylphenoxy) acetohydrazide(compound-3) were synthesized and their third order nonlinear optical properties were investigated using a single beam z-scan technique with nanosecond laser pulses at 532 nm. Open aperture data obtained from the three compounds indicates two photon absorption at this wavelength. The nonlinear refractive index n2, the nonlinear absorption coefficient β, the magnitude of the effective third order susceptibility χ(3), the second order hyperpolarizability γh and the coupling factor ρ have been estimated. The values obtained are comparable with the values obtained for 4-methoxy chalcone derivatives and dibenzylidene acetone derivatives. Among the compounds studied, compounds-1 and 3 exhibited the better optical power limiting behaviour at 532 nm. Our studies suggest that compounds-1, 2 and 3 are potential candidates for optical device applications such as optical limiters and optical switches.