Measurement of the group refractive indices of several liquids

A synchronously pumped stimulated Raman oscillator (SPSRO) has been used to measure the group refractive indices of several liquids. The characteristics of the SPSRO are described.     

Determination of refractive indices of liquids by Fresnel diffraction

We demonstrate an easy, reliable, applicable, and sensitive method to measure refractive index of liquids by using Fresnel diffraction. In this method a cylindrical glass rod, in general, or an optical fiber in special case, is immersed into a liquid. Physical parameters of the rod, like radius and refractive index, should be well known. Then, the normalized intensity distribution on the Fresnel diffraction pattern of a plane wave diffracted from the immersed fiber is measured. Thereafter, refractive index of the liquid is evolved by the least-square method. This method applied to determine the refractive index of four liquids; pure water, 2-propanol (isopropanol), acetone and methanol. Index of refraction of each one has been acquired for four visible wavelengths. A theoretical approach and experimental results is presented.     

The nonlinear refractive indices and nonlinear third-order susceptibilities of quadratic crystals

The third-order nonlinear susceptibilities and nonlinear refractive indices of KDP, BBO, and LiNbO₃ crystals at wavelengths of 1064 and 532 nm are measured using the Z-scan technique. The measurements are made for different energies of incident radiation and different focusing conditions and crystal lengths. It is found that, as the angle between the light beam and the principal optic axis of a KDP crystal increases, the nonlinearity drops, with its magnitude at a wavelength of 1064 nm being higher than at 532 nm. For a BBO crystal, the nonlinearity dispersion is normal. The mechanisms of nonlinear losses in KDP, BBO, and LiNbO₃ crystals are identified. The values of the nonlinear susceptibilities thus obtained are analyzed and compared with the results of calculations based on an empirical model and with the data of other authors.     

Temperature dependence of the refractive indices in semiconductors

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 654–659, October, 1989.     

Determination of nonlinear refractive indices by external self-focusing

The nonlinear refractive index of benzene is determined by measuring the reduction of the beam divergence of picosecond ruby laser pulses when passing through a benzene sample. Time-integrated spatial beam profiles give an effective refractive index while time-resolved beam profiles measured with a streak camera allow the determination of the temporal evolution of the nonlinear refractive index.     

Measurement of the temperature dependence of quartz refractive indices

We present and discuss a technique to measure concurrently the temperature dependence of quartz refractive indices in the thermal range 25–300° C. The magnitude of both indices is found to decrease slightly with increasing temperature in the thermal range considered.     

Determination of refractive indices of liquids at submillimetre wavelengths: Comparison of phase and amplitude modulation techniques

A theoretical comparison is made of determination of refractive indices of lossy liquids employing amplitude (AM) and phase (PM) modulations in the Mach-Zehnder interferometer using either the partial- or full-fringe technique. It is established that true refractive indices of lossy liquids can only be measured with the help of PM. Differences in the refractive indices of lossy liquids obtained by the two methods under ideal conditions are also calculated for various power absorptive coefficients at 29.7 and 84.5 cm⁻¹, the wavelengths of HCN and H₂O lasers.     

Light transmission in porous silicon dioxide filled with liquids of different refractive indices

Optical transmission at 532 nm from nonabsorbing disordered porous silicon dioxide has been studied experimentally. The transmission behaviors can be adjusted by filling the pores with liquids of different refractive indics, which are analyzed based on the theory of diffusion in a weak scattering regime. In our experiment, the transmission coefficient changes from a value less than 1% to one that is greater than 75%, that is, the opaque sample becomes transparent, which means that the transport mean free path of light within the material has been effectively adjusted. In addition, this method is a useful nondestructive method to derive the refractive index of an unknown bulk porous material.     

Nonlinear dielectric response and thermodynamic heterogeneity in liquids

If large amplitude time-dependent fields (e.g., dielectric, magnetic, mechanical) are applied to a sample that displays relaxational modes, some energy of the external field is absorbed by the slow degrees of freedom. The weak coupling of these modes to the phonon bath leads to long persistence times of the resulting higher fictive temperature. Assuming heterogeneities regarding dielectric and thermal relaxation times, extremely strong nonlinear dielectric effects are predicted and experimentally verified. For glycerol at T = 213 K, the dielectric loss measured at 280 kV/cm increases by more than 6% over its low-field value. This nonlinearity shows a characteristic frequency dependence and implies that dielectric and thermal time constants are locally correlated in viscous liquids.     

用反射率和低相干技术测容器内液体的折射率

为测量透明容器内液体的折射率,建立了基于容器内表面反射率测量的低相干技术实验系统。系统采用宽带低相干半导体激光光源和改进的迈克尔逊干涉仪,将装有待测液体的容器放入测量臂光路中,调节参考臂的光程,使由容器前壁内表面反射光的光程与来自参考臂反射光的光程相等,出现干涉现象。捕捉并记录下此干涉信号,并从中求出容器前壁内表面反射光的强度,再结合菲涅尔公式及反射率的定义,即可求出待测液体的折射率,其测量精度与阿贝折射仪相当。方法能够方便、快捷、准确地测出容器内液体的折射率,可用于食品、生物医学检验等领域内液体浓度或折射率的实时非接触监测。     

Theoretical analysis of the off-axis Z-scan method for measuring nonlinear refractive indices

The results of a theoretical analysis of the off-axis Z-scan method for measuring nonlinear refraction are presented. The dependences of the normalized transmittance are calculated for different radii and positions of the aperture. The amplitude T _pv and the distance between the maximum and the minimum Z _pv are analyzed as functions of the aperture size.     

Changes in the refractive indices of absorbing liquids under the action of pulsed laser radiation

Changes in the refractive indices of weakly absorbing liquids exposed to pulsed laser radiation have been calculated as functions of space and time based on numerical solution of equations for continuous media motion in the Lagrange form, the heat-conduction equation, and the Lorentz–Lorenz formula.     

Z-scan measurements of the nonlinear refractive indices of novel Yb-doped laser crystal hosts

We report on the z-scan characterization of the nonlinear refractive indices of three borate crystals (GdCOB, YCOB, and BOYS), which are new promising Yb-doped laser hosts. The results indicate the possibility of substantial Kerr-lensing and self-phase modulation effects in femtosecond oscillators and amplifiers. High values of the nonlinear refractive indices suggest possible KLM operation of such lasers. PACS 42.65.An; 42.65.Hw; 42.55.Rz; 42.65.Re     

Precise measurement of group refractive indices and temperature dependence of refractive index for Nd-doped yttrium orthovanadate by intracavity spontaneous mode locking

We report on a novel method based on intracavity spontaneous mode locking to precisely measure the group refractive indices and temperature dependence of refractive index of Nd:YVO(4) crystal at the wavelength of 1064 nm. All the experimental results are found to agree very well with the most recent measured values. We also confirm that the developed method is applicable to measuring the group refractive indices and the temperature dependence of the refractive indices of other vanadate crystals, as well as nonlinear crystals.     

A proposed new experimental setup for determination of refractive indices of liquids by mode line measurements

A new experimental method is proposed for measuring the refractive indices of liquids based on mode line measurements. The experimental setup consists of a dielectric substrate in which a rectangular hollow is formed containing the concerned liquid. This is covered by a trapezium-shaped prism. The liquid, confined between both basin walls and the prism, forms a wavegude. Thus, the refractive index of the liquid can be determined by measuring the propagating modes in the structure. Using this technique, the refractive indices of liquids can be measured to an accuracy of the order of 1×10^-4.     

Temperature dependence of the Kerr effect response time of nematogenic liquids

The temperature dependence on the rise time of the Kerr effect is measured in a range of 10°C above T_c for 5CB, 7CB and CPHB. The part played in the response time by the dipole moment is examined.     

Complex refractive index of turbid liquids

We present a multifunction spectrophotometer for the measurement of light reflection from thick and transmission from very thin turbid liquid samples. Moreover, we present a method to get the complex refractive index of such turbid liquids. As an example of the high performance of the device and the method, we present data on inks that are used in offset printing.