| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 49, Number 5, March I 2000
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 564 - 568 | |
| Section | Electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2000-00187-x | |
| Published online | 01 September 2002 | |
Laser beam self-phase modulation by a film of water-in-oil microemulsion
Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Università di Napoli “Federico II”
Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Facoltà d'Ingegneria
p.le Tecchio 80, I 80125 Napoli, Italy
Corresponding author: vicari@na.infn.it
Received:
15
June
1999
Accepted:
11
December
1999
We report, for the first time to our knowledge, the observation of optical nonlinearity by an optically thin film of water-in-oil microemulsion (AOT/water/decane). The new effect is observed in the L2 area of the phase diagram, near the percolation line and far from the one-phase two-phase boundary line. In this point, the material turbidity is very low. Experimental results have been obtained by self-phase modulation. Two slightly different configurations have been used: sample at the focal plane and sample behind it. Optical theory is introduced for a quantitative analysis of results. Traditional sources of nonlinearity in artificial Kerr-like media cannot completely explain the material behavior. Microemulsions now appear to be suitable as low-cost media for nonlinear optics devices.
PACS: 42.65.Jx – Beam trapping, self-focusing, and thermal blooming / 77.84.Nh – Liquids, emulsions, and suspensions; liquid crystals
© EDP Sciences, 2000
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.