Keywords

Carbon disulfide, Refractive index, Z scan

Abstract

The intensity dependent refractive index change of a medium is frequently described in terms of the product n₂ · I where n₂ is the nonlinear refractive index and I the light intensity. The nonlinear refractive index is often treated as constant which is a reasonable assumption if the light interacts only with bound electrons. In the case of carbon disulfide (CS₂) however, nuclear motions contribute to n₂. These motions occur on the sub picosecond time scale and thus become especially relevant for ultrashort laser pulses. The neat liquid CS₂ is studied because it exhibits a large nonlinear refractive index in comparison to other liquids. Therefore, it is employed in optical switching, optical limiting, and beam filamentation applications. This thesis presents effective n₂ values for Gaussian shaped linearly polarized pulses with central wavelength at [lambda]= 700nm. A theoretical model describing the time evolution of the material response is applied to distinguish between the instantaneous electronic, the ultrafast nuclear and the slow nuclear origins of the nonlinear refractive index. Moreover, the tensor nature of the material response function is studied by means of circularly polarized light. The relative magnitudes of bound electronic and nuclear contributions to n₂ are experimentally determined. Eventually, the dispersion of the instantaneous electronic response is measured in the spectral range between 390nm and 1064nm.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2011

Semester

Summer

Advisor

VanStryland, Eric

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Optics and Photonics

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0004052

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004052

Language

English

Release Date

August 2011

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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