Organic and inorganic optical limiting materials. From fullerenes to nanoparticles

Optical limiting properties of organic reverse saturable absorbers, fullerenes, and nanoscopic materials are reviewed. The strongly nonlinear absorptive organic dyes are discussed in terms of the potential and limitation in their further improvement. The principle and practice for the development of supramolecular nonlinear absorbers based on a new molecular engineering approach are described along with future prospects. The fullerene based materials are discussed by emphasizing the mechanistic issues of their optical limiting properties and the potential for improving their optical limiting performance through fullerene cage derivatizations and through the incorporation of fullerene cages into polymeric structures. Finally, the discussion on the development of nano-materials as a new class of strong optical limiters is centred on the optical limiting performance and mechanism of metal and metal sulphide nanoparticles, and on a comparison with strongly nonlinear scattering materials such as suspensions of carbon black particles. The review also includes a comprehensive list of references on optical limiting materials.