MEASUREMENT OF OPTICAL NONLINEARITIES USING AN ELLIPTIC GAUSSIAN-BEAM

We have investigated optical nonlinearities using a beam that has a transverse elliptic Gaussian profile. The popular single-beam technique known as Z-scan complimented with optical limiting experiments are analyzed in this study. A geometric optics model including both nonlinear refraction and absorption is developed in the aberration-free approximation. We have found good agreement between theory and experimental data taken from a lead silicate glass where the elliptic beam had an eccentricity of about 0.98. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.