Abstract
By using the single-beam Z-scan technique, both the sign and the magnitude of the nonlinear refractive index n2 and the nonlinear absorption coefficient β can be readily determined.1 However, this single-beam technique cannot distinguish the contributions to optical nonlinearities from different mechanisms, such as bound electronic motion, two-photon free-carrier generation, molecular Kerr reorientation and thermal effects. By using two laser beams (i.e., pump and probe beams) and introducing a temporal delay between them, a two-color picosecond time-resolved Z-scan was used to distinguish the various contributions.2 Instead of using two-color light, we have extended the technique to a single-color time-resolved Z-scan by using cross- polarized pump-probe beams with femtosecond time resolution. Both techniques were successfully implemented by using a regenerative Ti:sapphire laser amplifier.
© 1995 Optical Society of America
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