The effects of molecular reorientation on the absorption of intense light by organic-dye solutions

Equations are presented for the spectral and orientational distribution of unexcited dye molecules in the field of an intense giant laser pulse. The solute dye molecules are linear oscillators that may be broadened either homogeneously or inhomogeneously, and may reorient by sudden jumps over large angles or by small angular steps (brownian rotational motion). The equations are employed to analyze the intensity dependence of fluorescence polarization observed by Mourou and Denariez-Roberge for the system cryptocyanine-glycerin. Their data are consistent with an excited-state deactivation time T₁ = 0.4 ± 1.0 ns and a rotational diffusion constant D = 20/T₁ = 5.0 × 10⁹ s⁻¹