Third-order nonlinear optical properties experimental results

This review covers the theoretical background and some of the practical aspects of nonlinear optics, including a description of the origins of third-order nonlinearities, systems of units that are encountered, experimental techniques that have been used or may be used to probe the third-order NLO properties of organometallic complexes, and computational methods that have or could be used to calculate third-order NLO properties. Subsequent sections collect comprehensive data of organometallic complexes in tables categorized by complex type and discussions of the results of third-order NLO measurements and calculations performed on organometallic... 

As the local electric field in the particles is enhanced at the SPR, the metal nonlinear optical response can be amplified as compared to the bulk solid one. Moreover, the intrinsic nonlinear properties of metals may themselves be modified by effects linked with electronic confinement. These interesting features have led an increasing number of people to devote their research to the study of nonlinear optical properties of nanocomposite media for about two decades. Tire third-order nonlinear response known as optical Kerr effect have been particularly investigated, both theoretically and experimentally. It results in the linear variation of both the refraction index and the absorption coefficient as a function of light intensity. These effects are usually measured by techniques employing pulsed lasers. 

In the first part, emphasis will be put on the linear optical properties of dielectric media doped with noble metal nanoparticles. Indeed, the study of the linear response is definitely needed to further explore the nonlinear one. We will then introduce the fundamentals of the theoretical tools required to understand why and how people inquire into the third-order nonlinear properties of nanocomposite materials. In the second part, experimental results will be presented by first examining the different nonlinear optical phenomena which have been observed in these media. We will then focus on the nanoparticle intrinsic nonlinear susceptibility before analysing the influence of the main morphological factors on the nonlinear optical response. The dependence of the latter on laser characteristics will finally be investigated, as well as the crucial role played by different thermal effects. 

Whatever the degree of approximation used in evaluating the effective nonlinear susceptibility of a composite medium, it can be seen in Eqs. (22), (23) or (27) that the result depends on the product of two complex quantities One linked with the medium morphology and composition (the local field factor), the other linked with the nonlinear optical properties of the metal inclusions themselves (the intrinsic third-order susceptibility, Xm ) - inasmuch as the own contribution of the host matrix to the whole nonlinear response still remains negligible. We will focus here on the second factor. It is noteworthy that very few theoretical work has been accomplished regarding the value of Xm for noble metal nanoparticles after the pioneering smdies of Flytzanis and coworkers [79, 80, 89, 90]. Moreover, as will be underlined below, their results may not be used in every experimental situation as they are. 

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