Third-order nonlinear optical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified by CdS nanoparticles

CdS nanoparticles were coated on the side wall of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by a wet chemical synthesis approach via noncovalent functionalization of MWCNTs with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). The as-prepared material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis absorption, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that CdS nanoparticles were uniformly coated on the surface of MWCNTs. Third-order optical nonlinearity of the as-prepared material was studied with the Z-scan technique with picosecond laser pulses at 532 nm. The Z-scan curve revealed that CdS nanoparticle-modified MWCNTs exhibited negative nonlinear refraction index and positive absorption coefficient. The real part and imaginary part of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ were calculated to be −4.9 × 10⁻¹² and 6.8 × 10⁻¹³ esu, respectively.