Introduction to Band Structure
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Many of the electrical and optical properties of NLO materials are related to the electronic band structure of the compounds.
Semiconducting polymers combine the electrical and optical properties of metals and semiconductors with the mechanical properties of plastics. Highly electrically conductive polymers were first discovered in the 1970s. Now these organic materials will be used just as silicon is used today. The goal is not to replace silicon but rather to do new things that silicon is not well suited for. Silicon has to be extremely pure, it is rigid and brittle, it is difficult to process. Organic materials can be simply printed on surfaces and may remain flexible. Finally organic materials can be synthesized to have specific characteristics.