Large third-order optical nonlinearity in SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films by pulsed laser deposition

Well-crystallized SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) thin films with good surface morphology were prepared on quartz substrates by the pulsed laser deposition technique at a deposition temperature of 750 degrees C. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of the films were measured by the Z-scan technique. The magnitude and sign of the nonlinear refractive index n(2) were determined, as was the negative sign, which indicated a self-defocusing optical nonlinearity. A nonlinear refractive index as high as 1.9x10(-6) esu was displayed in the SBT thin film. These results show that SBT ferroelectric thin films have potential applications in nonlinear optics. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)04333-8].