Record Second-Harmonic Generation and Birefringence in an Ultraviolet Antimonate by Bond Engineering

Oxides have attracted considerable attention owing to their potential for nonlinear optical (NLO) applications. Although significant progress has been achieved in optimizing the structural characteristics of primitives (corresponding to the simplest constituent groups, namely, cations/anions/neutral molecules) comprising the crystalline oxides, the role of the primitives' interaction in determining the resultant functional structure and optical properties has long been underappreciated and remains unclear. In this study, we employ a π-conjugated organic primitive confinement strategy to manipulate the interactions between primitives in antimonates and thereby significantly enhance the optical nonlinearity. Chemical bonds and relatively weak H-bonding interactions promote the formation of cis- and trans-Sb(III)-based dimer configurations in (C₅H₅NO)(Sb₂OF₄) (4-HPYSOF) and (C₅H₇N₂)(Sb₂F₇) (4-APSF), respectively, resulting in very different second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiencies and birefringences. In particular, 4-HPYSOF displays an exceptionally strong SHG response (12 × KH₂PO₄ at 1064 nm) and a large birefringence (0.513 at 546 nm) for a Sb(III)-based NLO oxide as well as a UV cutoff edge. Structural analyses and theoretical studies indicate that polarized ionic bond interactions facilitate the favorable arrangement of both the inorganic and organic primitives, thereby significantly enhancing the optical nonlinearity in 4-HPYSOF. Our findings shed new light on the intricate correlations between the interactions of primitives, inorganic primitive configuration, and SHG properties, and, more broadly, our approach provides a new perspective in the development of advanced NLO materials through the interatomic bond engineering of oxides.