Thermally induced nonlinear optical response and optical power limiting of acid blue 40 dye

We report the investigations of thermally induced third-order nonlinear optical and optical limiting characterizations for various concentrations of acid blue 40 dye in N,N-Dimethyl Formamide, studied by employing z-scan technique under cw He–Ne laser irradiation at 633 nm wavelength. The samples exhibited nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction under the experimental conditions. For lower concentration, the samples display both saturable absorption (SA) and reverse saturable absorption (RSA); whereas with increase in concentration, RSA behaviour prevails. The estimated values of the effective coefficients of nonlinear absorption β_eff, nonlinear refraction n₂ and third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ were found to be of the order of 10^?2 cm/W, 10^?4 esu and 10^?6 esu respectively. Multiple diffraction rings were observed when the samples were exposed to laser beam due to refractive index change and thermal lensing. The effect of concentration and the laser intensity on the self-diffraction ring patterns was studied experimentally. The acid blue 40 dye also exhibited strong optical limiting properties under cw excitation and reverse saturable absorption is found to be the dominant nonlinear optical process leading to the observed nonlinear behaviour.     

Quantization and other nonlinear distortions of the hologram transmittance

A quantization process is a special nonlinear process, whereby the input signal I at point x is converted into an associated output signal Î at the same point x. The output signal can assume only a few discrete values. We develop a suitable theory and apply it to the quantization of the hologram transmittance. Such a process might be employed in remoted holography or in mass production copying of holograms. The theory applies also to other nonlinearities. The nonlinear hologram can always be interpreted as the superposition of bleached holograms.     

Laser fluctuation studies in intensity dependent absorption of light

The interaction of a laser with an intensity-dependent absorber has been analysed for discrete regions of operations of the laser. It is shown that the beam is thermally defocused due to absorption for the values of intensity under consideration. The fluctuation properties have been analysed by evaluating 〈I〉,〈I ²〉 and 〈(ΔI)²〉/〈I〉².     

Design and simulation of a switch based on nonlinear directional coupler

In this paper, we have analyzed a nonlinear photonic crystal directional coupler by the finite difference time domain method. We have tried to increase the coupling efficiency and also reduce the coupling length in linear and nonlinear states in this device. In this coupler, refractive index of the rods of the central row is tuned by input signal power due to nonlinear Kerr effect; therefore, input signal beam can be controlled so as to be exchanged between two output ports. Physical length is chosen to be 24a so as to have the highest output power ratio and also the smallest amount of power required for nonlinear performance.     

Kerr nonlinear switch based on ultra-compact photonic crystal directional coupler

In this paper, an all optical switch based on nonlinear photonic crystal directional coupler has been simulated and analyzed by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The lunched pump signal increases the refractive indices of the central row of the coupler, due to nonlinear Kerr effect, hence the coupler works in the nonlinear conditions and lightwave guides to the other output port. We have tried to increase the coupling efficiency and reduce the required power in the nonlinear status by optimizing the bends structure and increasing the interaction between dielectric and lightwave signal. Therefore, the input signal beam can be controlled to be exchanged between two output ports to earn the highest output power ratio and the smallest amount of power required for nonlinear performance, the physical length of the coupler is determined to be 20a, where a is the structure lattice constant.     

Diffraction patterns and nonlinear optical properties of gold nanoparticles

Stable gold nanoparticles have been prepared by using soluble starch as both the reducing and stabilizing agents; this reaction was carried out at 40 °C for 5 h. The obtained gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and z-scan technique. The size of these nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 12–22 nm as analyzed using transmission electron micrographs. The optical properties of gold nanoparticles have been measured showing the surface plasmon resonance. The second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were investigated by using a continuous-wave (CW) He–Ne laser beam with a wavelength of 632.8 nm at three different incident intensities by means of single beam techniques. The nonlinear refractive indices of gold nanoparticles were obtained from close aperture z-scan in order of 10^?7 cm²/W. Then, they were compared with diffraction patterns observed in far-field. The nonlinear absorption of these nanoparticles was obtained from open aperture z-scan technique. The values of nonlinear absorption coefficient are obtained in order of 10^?1 cm/W.     

Third-order nonlinear optical response in double-walled carbon nanotubes

Resonant behavior and magnitudes of third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities in double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) have been investigated by means of femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with different pump-photon energies. With the selective excitation of the E₂₂ exciton transition of the inner tubes labeled by the chiral vector indices (7,5) and (7,6), the imaginary part of nonlinear susceptibility Imχ⁽³⁾ has shown the resonant enhancement compared with the case of the nonresonant excitation of the specific tube. The nonlinear response signal at the E₂₂ transition energy of the (8,7) tube has been also enhanced for the excitation of the G-band phonon sideband of its E₂₂ transition. This result is consistent with the phonon-mediated nonlinear optical process observed for the E₂₂ transitions in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). It has been also found that the values of the figure of merit Im χ⁽³⁾/α (α: absorption coefficient) of the inner tubes in DWNTs are smaller than those of the corresponding SWNTs, which is interpreted in terms of decay time shortening due to the energy relaxation between the inner and outer tubes.     

Hyperfeinstrukturuntersuchungen mit einem sphärischen Fabry-Perot-Interferometer mit internem Absorptionsatomstrahl im Tm I- und Eu I-Spektrum

A spherical Fabry-Perot spectrometer with an absorbing atomic beam passing the interior of the interferometer is described. By use of the internal beam it is possible to reduce the amount of material needed for the atomic beam source to a few milligrams per hour. The set-up is especially suitable for hyperfine structure and isotope shift investigations. For the photoelectric recording of the signal the geometrical distance between the spherical mirrors was changed using the piezoelectric effect. In order to reduce the influence of the intensity distribution of the light sourceI ₀(λ) the ratio [I ₀(λ)-I(λ)]/I ₀(λ) was measured, whereI ₀(λ)=I ₀(λ) exp (—V·k(λ)·d) is the observed intensity with absorbing atoms between the mirrors, andV the increase of the absorption signal due to the multiple reflections of the light through the atomic beam (V≈75). For an accurate and easy evaluation of the data this ratio was measured by a digital voltmeter and punched into paper tape. The small line width of the absorption profile obtained in the experiments with Tm and Eu enabled us to measure hyperfine distances of the order of 5 · 10^?3 cm^?1 to 20 · 10^?3 cm^?1 with an error not exceeding 0.1 · 10^?3 cm^?1 in some cases. From the measurements theA-factors for five levels of the configurations 4f ¹³6s 6p and 4f ¹²5d 6s ² in Tm I and theA- andB-factors of the stable Eu isotopes of the 4f ⁷ 6s 6p y ⁸ P _5/2level in Eu I were determined.     

Investigation of nonlinear optical parameters of zinc based amorphous chalcogenide films

Third order nonlinear optical properties of amorphous Zn_x–S_y–Se_100−x−y chalcogenide films have been investigated using single beam transmission z-scan technique at 1064 nm of Nd:YAG laser. Measurement of optical properties of amorphous Zn_x–S_y–Se_100−x−y chalcogenide films prepared by thermal evaporation technique has been made. X-ray diffraction patterns of chalcogenide films confirm the amorphous nature. Optical band gap (E_g) has been estimated using Tauc's plot method from transmission spectra that is found to decrease with increase in content due to valence band broadening and band tailing the system. Nonlinear refractive index (n₂), nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) and third order nonlinear susceptibility (χ³) of chalcogenide films have been estimated. Self-focusing effect has been observed in closed aperture and reverse saturable absorption in open aperture scheme. Limiting threshold and dynamic range have been calculated from optical limiting studies. The increase in nonlinearity with increase in Zn content has been observed that is understood to be due to decrease in band gap on Zn doping. High nonlinearity makes these films a potential candidate for waveguides, fibers and two photon absorption in optical limiters.     

Methods of measuring the nonlinear-optical coefficients of the refractive index of nonlinear media

A cousistent analysis of a method of measuring the coefficient n ₂ of the Kerr nonlinearity and the two-photon absorption coefficient in presented. The method is based on the study of the dependence of the nonlinear transmittance with respect to the far-field axial intensity of the laser beam on the position of the layer of the nonlinear medium on the z (longitudinal) coordinate of this beam (z scanning). The possibility for the measurement of n ₂ and the two-photon (multiphoton) absorption coefficient based on the study of the far-field variations in the spatial profile of the beam having passed through the nonlinear medium is also analyzed. The calculations prove the efficiency of the new method for measuring n ₂ and the two-photon (multiphoton) absorption coefficient.     

Self-pulsation and optical chaos in self-pumped photorefractive BaTiO3

Sinusoidal intensity oscillations of the phase conjugated wave reflected from a self-pumped photorefractive BaTiO₃ crystal have been observed. The oscillation amplitude is shown to be increased by providing optical feedback of the light scattered during grating formation. The oscillation frequency ? can be tuned from 0.024 Hz to 2 Hz by changing the light intensity I₀ of the object beam from 0.7 W/cm² to 100 W/cm². A power law ? ∝ I^β₀ ∝ σ with β = 0.89 was observed over this range of intensities (σ = photoconductivity). Transitions to a chaotically oscillating or a stable reflecting state have been observed at higher power levels or with increased optical feedback. An additional pump beam near the entrance face of the signal beam can decrease the build-up time for the self-pumping process by a factor of five or more.     

Spectral and nonlinear studies of night blue dye

Solid-state dye-doped polymer is an attractive alternative to the conventional liquid dye solution. In this Letter the spectral characteristics and the nonlinear optical properties of the dye night blue are studied. The spectral characteristics of night blue dye doped poly(methylmethacrylate) modified with additive n-butyl acetate (nBA) are studied by recording its absorption and fluorescence spectra and the results are compared with the corresponding liquid mixture. The nonlinear refractive index of the dye in nBA and dye doped polymer film were measured using z-scan technique [S.-B., Mansoor, A.A. Said, T.-H. Wei, D.J. Hagan, E.W. Van Stryland, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 26 (1990) 760], by exciting with He–Ne laser. The results obtained are intercompared. Both the samples of dye night blue show a negative nonlinear refractive index. The origin of optical nonlinearity in the dye may be attributed due to laser-heating induced nonlinear effect.     

All-optical regeneration based on a nonlinear long period grating

We theoretically investigate a nonlinear all-optical switching scheme based on a long period grating written in a highly nonlinear chalcogenide fiber. We investigate the impact of two-photon absorption on the device and show that the influence of a modest amount of two photon absorption is actually beneficial to device performance as quantified by the power transfer function and improvement of the Q-factor of an incident signal.     

Third order nonlinear optical properties of potassium dichromate single crystals by Z-scan technique

Single crystal of potassium dichromate (KDC) has been grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique. The lattice parameters of the grown crystal were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The optical absorption studies reveal that the crystal has UV cut-off wavelength around 240 nm. Thermo gravimetric and differential thermal (TGA/DTA) studies revealed that the crystal thermally stable up to 397.1 °C. The mechanical strength of the grown crystal was carried out by Vickers micro hardness test. The crystal perfection was confirmed by etching studies. Third order nonlinear optical studies was performed using by single beam Z-scan technique using continuous Nd:YAG laser. Closed aperture Z-scan studies reveal the negative nonlinearity in the crystals and open aperture Z-scan reveals the saturation absorption. Also various parameters such as nonlinear refractive index n₂, absorption co-efficient β and nonlinear optical susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ were calculated for the grown crystal.     

Self-focusing and nonlinear acceleration process in laser produced plasma

Ruby laser intensities exceedingI ^* - 10¹⁴ W/cm² create a predominant acceleration of dense plasma due to nonlinear collisionless interaction resulting mainly from collective effects. Recoil causes confinement of the plasma interior in the form of a superlinearly increased radiation pressure. Similar nonlinear forces produce self-focusing in plasmas at a threshold laser power of only 10⁵ to 10⁶ W. The resulting filaments have intensitiesI ^*, from which their diameter can be determined in agreement with measurements of Korobkin and Alcock. These high intensities should allow some observed properties of laser produced plasmas (keV ions, linear increase of the ion charge) to be interpreted on the basis of the nonlinear acceleration described.     

Investigation of the two-photon absorption spectrum of 3,4-benzopyrene by means of a tunable dye laser

The two-photon absorption of the solid solution of 3,4-benzopyrene in methyl polymetacrylate, induced by a tunable dye laser has been investigated. An absorption spectrum in the range of 530–750 nm has been obtained. The dependence of the fluorescence intensity I_F upon the laser power I_F, I_FλI^k_L and the relation k=k(λ) has been i investigated.     

Direct measurement of free carrier nonlinearity in semiconductor-doped glass with picosecond pump-probe Z-scan experiment

We report the direct measurement of free carrier nonlinearity in a semiconductor-doped glass with picosecond pump-probe Z-scan experiment. A strong Z-scan signal from a weak and time delayed probe beam is observed. The probe beam Z-scan signal is comparable in magnitude to the Z-scan signal of the intense pump beam, clearly showing the dominance of the effective fifth order nonlinearity due to the pump beam generated free carriers in the overall nonlinear response of semiconductor-doped glass. The estimated magnitude of the fifth order nonlinearity is consistent with that obtained from earlier reported experiments.     

Enhanced nonlinear optical responses in metal-glass nanocomposites

The “engineered” nonlinear nanocomposite materials with extremely large values of optical Kerr susceptibility and fast temporal responses that can be precisely tuned to satisfy the requirements of switching applications is of current interest in photonics. Metal quantum-dot composite glasses can exhibit enhanced optical susceptibility, χ⁽³⁾, whose real and imaginary parts are related to the intensity-dependent refractive index and two-photon absorption coefficient, respectively. Classical (dielectric) and quantum confinement effects come into play in the nonlinear optical responses of these nanocomposites. Metal nanocluster-glass composites have been synthesized by 200 keV Cu⁺ and 1.5 MeV Au⁺ ion implantations in fused silica glasses at a dose of 3 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm², followed by thermal annealing in reducing atmosphere to promote cluster growth. UV-Visible spectroscopy has revealed prominent linear absorption bands at characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) frequencies signifying appreciable formation of copper and gold colloids in glass matrices. Third-order optical properties of the composite materials have been studied by Z-Scan and Anti-Resonant Interferometric Nonlinear Spectroscopy (ARINS) measurements. The sign of nonlinear refraction is readily obtained from the Z-Scan signatures. The ARINS technique utilizes the dressing of two unequal-intensity counter-propagating pulsed light beams with differential nonlinear phases, which occur upon traversing the sample if it exhibits nonlinear optical response. This difference in phase manifests itself in the intensity-dependent transmission. The nonlinear refractive index, nonlinear absorption coefficient, the real and imaginary parts of the third-order optical susceptibility have been extracted.     

Atom number calibration in absorption imaging at very small atom numbers

Cold atom experiments often use images of the atom clouds as their exclusive source of experimental information. The most commonly used technique is absorption imaging, which provides accurate information about the shapes of the atom clouds, but requires care when seeking the absolute atom number for small atom samples. In this paper, we present an independent, absolute calibration of the atom numbers. We directly compare the atom number detected using dark-ground imaging to the one observed by fluorescence imaging of the same atoms in a magneto-optical trap. We normalise the signal using single-atom resolved fluorescence imaging. In order to be able to image the absorption of the very low atom numbers involved, we use diffractive dark-ground imaging as a novel, ultra-sensitive method of in situ imaging for untrapped atom clouds down to only 100 atoms. We demonstrate that the Doppler shift due to the acceleration of the atoms by the probe beam has to be taken into account when measuring the atom-number.     

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.