Measurement self-phase modulation

When an intense pulse of monochromatic laser light is focussed on a transparent liquid or solid, there is an emission of white light over a wide continuous spectral range. This process is known as self-phase modulation . We will not consider its physics. For our purpose it is important to note its photochemical implications. On the one hand, this pulse of white light can be used to provide a probe light in ps and fs flash photolysis (sections 8.1 and 8.2). On the other hand, it can be a source of stray light in some luminescence measurements. This comes as a surprise to many users of lasers for luminescence kinetics measurements, but it is an unavoidable problem. 

Besides the phase of the fundamental mode, strictly speaking, the preferred phase, many other characteristics have been studied in [226]. Because a large mismatch was chosen, they have lacked any trend, but an interesting oscillatory behavior has been discovered for the initial two-mode coherent state. Within each period, the phase-matched second-harmonic and second-subharmonic generation processes can be prepared. The model of an ideal Kerr-like medium [223] have been considered for a comparison with cascaded quadratic non-linearities. It follows that these nonlinearities exhibit not only self-phase modulation in the fundamental mode but also a cross-phase modulation of the modes that can be considered for a nondemolition measurement. 

It turns out that the spectral modes of the comb are precisely equidistant, even in the far wings of the comb [1325]. This is also true when the spectrum is broadened by self-phase modulation. These strictly regular frequency spacings are essential for optical frequency measurements [1325]. Any optical frequency can be expressed... 

The direct NMR method for determining translational difiFusion constants in liquid crystals was described previously. The indirect NMR methods involve measurements of spin-lattice relaxation times (Ti,Ti ),Tip) [7.45]. Prom their temperature and frequency dependences, it is hoped to gain information on the self-diflPusion. In favorable cases, where detailed theories of spin relaxation exist, difiFusion constants may be calculated. Such theories, in principle, can be developed [7.16] for translational difiFusion. However, until recently, only a relaxation theory of translational difiFusion in isotropic hquids or cubic solids was available [7.66-7.68]. This has been used to obtain the difiFusion correlation times in nematic and smectic phases [7.69-7.71]. Further, an average translational difiFusion constant may be estimated if the mean square displacement is known. However, accurate determination of the difiFusion correlation times is possible in liquid crystals provided that a proper theory of translational difiFusion is available for liquid crystals, and the contribution of this difiFusion to the overall relaxation rate is known. In practice, all of the other relaxation mechanisms must first be identified and their contributions subtracted from the observed spin relaxation rate so as to isolate the contribution from translational difiFusion. This often requires careful measurements of proton Ti over a very wide frequency range [7.72]. For spin - nuclei, dipolar interactions may be modulated by intramolecular (e.g., collective motion, reorientation) and/or intermolecular (e.g., self-diffusion) processes. Because the intramolecular (Ti ) and intermolecular... 

Dynamic processes that can be investigated by NMR include both the motions of individual molecules, e.g., conformational dynamics and molecular rotations, and collective motions, e.g., director fluctuations in nematic systems, layer undulations in smectic systems, or density modulations in columnar phases of discotic systems. Self-diffusion can be measured by NMR relaxation or field gradient methods, as discussed in Sec. 13 of Chap. VII of this Volume. Table 1 gives an overview of the time scales accessible by the most common experimental techniques and examples of the type of motion that can be studied. 

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