Photoinduced nitrosyl linkage isomers uncover a variety of unconventional photorefractive media

Photorefraction is shown to arise generally with the generation of light-induced linkage isomers in compounds containing the complexes [ML5NO]'(+/-), where M is a transition metal, L a ligand, and m the formal charge of the anion/cation (see figure and inside cover). The photorefractive properties of the complex can be tuned by chemical variation of M and L.