Abstract

In the resonant regime, the optical Kerr effect of CdSe-doped glasses is due to photoexcitation of carriers whose presence modifies the optical properties of the CdSe quantum dots. The recovery time, which governs the repetition rate at which such devices could be operated, is equal to the recombination time of these carriers. At low laser intensity, the recombination time may be shortened by the photodarkening effect.¹ At higher intensity, nonlinear processes such as Auger recombination may play a significant role as aleady suggested² although the first data could not clearly make the difference between a cubic (Auger) process or a quadratic one.

© 1994 IEEE