Optical Second Harmonic and Sum-Frequency Studies of C60 Film

Abstract

Recently there has been much interest in the physical and chemical properties of C60, motivated by exciting possibilities for the synthesis of novel materials. Here we report measurements of optical second harmonic (SHG) and infrared-visible sum-frequency generation (SFG) from C60 films. While second harmonic generation from C60 films has been previously observed1, no attempt has yet been made to identify the relevant second order nonlinear susceptibility elements. We have also investigated the adsorption of atomic hydrogen on the surface of films of C60 using SHG and SFG. The reactivity of the surface of C60 films is of importance for the fabrication and stability of new fullerene based materials.