Nonlinear Optical Properties of Novel Metallophthalocyanines

Journal of Applied Spectroscopy - Detailed measurements of nonlinear optical properties and optical limiting for four phthalocyanine (Pc) derivatives (PcCo, PcCu, PcMn, and PcSi) are reported. The...     

Nonlinear refractive index measurement of tris(acetylacetonato) manganese(III) solution

We present the results from investigations of the nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficient of tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III) solution, using Z-scan technique with a low-power continuous-wave laser at 514 nm. We demonstrate that the light-induced nonlinear refractive index variation leads to strong self-focusing and self-defocusing. A pump and probe technique was used to investigate the cause of nonlinearity. Furthermore, the nonlinear absorption effect was utilized to demonstrate all optical switching.     

Observation of simultaneous reverse saturation absorption and saturation absorption in silver nanoparticles incorporated into europium oxide thin film

In this work, nano silver clusters incorporated into europium oxide thin films at a level of 3.8% and 12.5% have been prepared by a vacuum evaporation method on glass and silicon substrates. Samples were investigated by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and linear and nonlinear optical absorption methods. The X-ray diffraction reveals that the Eu oxide of these samples remains amorphous after pre-annealing at 400 °C. The linear optical absorption of the samples shows surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomena, which varies with the Ag content of the samples. The optical nonlinear absorption properties of the prepared films were investigated using an open Z-scan technique with cw laser at wavelengths 476 nm and 514 nm. A changeover from reverse saturation absorption (RSA) to saturation absorption (SA) was observed. RSA is attributed to interband transition via two photon absorption. SA is attributed to plasmon bleach.     

All optical switching in henna thin film

The optical nonlinearity in henna (Lawson (2- hydroxyl-1,4 naphthoquinone) film was utilized to demonstrate all optical switching. The nonlinear absorption of the henna film was calculated by measuring the transmission of the laser beam (λ = 488 nm) as a function of incident light intensities. The observed nonlinear absorption is attributed to a two-photon absorption process. The pump and probe technique was used to demonstrate all optical switching. The switching characteristics can be utilized to generate all-optical logic gates such as simple inverter switches (NOT) NOR, AND NAND logic functions.     

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of hydrogenated CdO thin films

The linear and nonlinear optical properties of a CdO film post-annealed in a hydrogen atmosphere for 30 min (CdO:H) were studied. The prepared CdO and CdO:H films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectroscopy. Experimental data indicated that annealing in an H₂ atmosphere slightly compresses the CdO unit cell and widens the energy gap of CdO by about 3% relative to a nonhydrogenated film. This effect can be explained by the Burstein-Moss energy effect. The nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refractive index coefficients were determined and found to be higher than the values previously determined for nonhydrogenated CdO.     

Nonlinear refractive index measurements and self-action effects in Roselle-Hibiscus Sabdariffa solutions

We report the observation of self-action phenomena, such as self-focusing, self-defocusing, self-phase modulation and beam fanning in Roselle-Hibiscus Sabdariffa solutions. This material is found to be a new type of natural nonlinear media, and the nonlinear reflective index coefficient has been determined using a Z-scan technique and by measuring the critical power for the self-trapping effect. Z-scan measurements show that this material has a large negative nonlinear refractive index, n ₂ = 1 × 10^?4 esu. A comparison between the experimental n ₂ values and the calculated thermal value for n ₂ suggests that the major contribution to nonlinear response is of thermal origin.     

Effective Stimulated Emission Cross-Sections of Poly(Phenylene Vinylene) Copolymers in Toluene Solution

We report optical gain measurements in four different copolymers polyp-phenylene-co-[2,5-dioctyloxy-p-phenylene-bis-2(4-nonyl phenyl) vinylene]nonyl-PpPV, polym-phenylene-co-[2,5-dioctyloxy-p-phenylene-bis-2(4-methyl phenyl) vinylene]methyl-PmPV, polyp-phenylene-co-[2,5-dioctyloxy-p-phenylene-bis-2(4-methyl-phenyl) vinylene]methyl-PpPV, polyp-phenylene-co-[2,6-naphthylene-bis-2(4-nonyl phenyl) vinylene]nonyl-PpPV-NV in toluene. The copolymers are related to poly(phenylene vinylene) and have been synthesized via Horner–Emmons polycondensation reaction. The optical gain determined from the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) intensity is dependent on the excited stripe length. The net optical gain coefficients are found to vary between 0.1 cm^–1 in nonyl-PpPV to 2.5 cm^–1 in methyl-PmPV under nanosecond pulse excitation. The gain for Rodamine 6G was also measured under the same experimental condition and was used to determine the stimulated emission cross-sections for the four polymers and found to be _SE(peak)= 6.7 × 10^–20 cm² for nonyl-PpPV, _SE(peak)= 1.7 × 10¹⁸ cm² for methyl-PmPV, _SE(peak)= 1.4 × 10^–18 cm² for methyl-PpPV, and _SE(peak)= 1.5 × 10^–18 cm² for nonyl-PpPV-NV.     

Non-linear optical properties and all optical switching of Congo red in solution

We present the results from investigations of the nonlinear properties of Congo red solutions using Z-scan technique with a continuous wave argon ion laser at 514 nm. The magnitude and sign of the third-order nonlinear refractive index n₂ of aqueous solution of Congo red were determined. The nonlinear refractive index was found to vary with concentration. Third-order nonlinearity is dominated by nonlinear refractive index, which leads to strong self-defocusing and self diffraction in the samples studied. A pump and probe technique was used to investigate the origin of nonlinearity. Furthermore the nonlinear refractive index effect was utilized to demonstrate all optical switching. The optical limiting behavior based on nonlinear refractive index was investigated.     

Nonlinear refractive and optical limiting measurements of 2-thienylchalcone derivatives under cw laser regime

The nonlinear refractive index of 2-thienylchalcone derivatives in solution was investigated using z-scan technique with a continuous wave Argon ion laser. The results show that 2-thienylchalcone derivatives exhibit a large nonlinear refractive index at 488 nm. The optical limiting behaviour based on nonlinear refractive index was also investigated. The fluorescence from the samples was recorded and the relationship between the variation of nonlinear refractive index values and optical limiting values with fluorescence intensity were investigated. The results indicated that 2-thienylchalcone derivatives could be promising candidates for application on nonlinear photonic devices.     

Optical characterization of thermally evaporated thin CdO films

Cadmium Oxide films have been prepared by vacuum evaporation method on a glass substrate at room temperature. Detailed structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films are presented at different annealing temperatures. The crystal structure of the samples was studied by X‐ ray diffraction. The spectral absorption coefficient of the CdO film at the fundamental absorption region (450‐650nm) was determined using the spectral data of transmittance. The direct and indirect band gap energies were determined and found to be 2.33 eV and 1.95 eV respectively. The third order optical nonlinearities χ(3) of CdO films has been measured used the z‐can technique. The real and imaginary parts of χ(3) have been measured at 514 nm and found to be 1.7x10^‐3 esu and 3.0x10^‐3 esu, respectively. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)