Nonlinear optical response of the cybotactic nematic phase of a bent-core mesogen has been investigated for the first time through self-phase modulation induced by a Gaussian beam. The material exhibits a high nonlinear response achieving a nonlinear index n2 ≈ 5 × 10−5 cm2∕W and an unconventional behavior characterized by two different regimes. While the high-intensity regime can be easily explained in terms of a thermal indexing effect, the low-intensity regime is metastable and characterized by an unusual dependence on the irradiation energy. It is suggested that a change of the director configuration, possibly due to a light-induced modification of surface anchoring, is responsible for the observed behavior.

Optical nonlinearity in the nematic phase of bent-core mesogens / Lucchetti, Liana; Vita, Francesco; Scharrer, E.; Francescangeli, Oriano; Simoni, Francesco. - In: OPTICS LETTERS. - ISSN 0146-9592. - STAMPA. - 40:13(2015), pp. 2953-2956. [10.1364/OL.40.002953]

Optical nonlinearity in the nematic phase of bent-core mesogens

LUCCHETTI, Liana
;
VITA, Francesco;FRANCESCANGELI, ORIANO;SIMONI, Francesco
2015-01-01

Abstract

Nonlinear optical response of the cybotactic nematic phase of a bent-core mesogen has been investigated for the first time through self-phase modulation induced by a Gaussian beam. The material exhibits a high nonlinear response achieving a nonlinear index n2 ≈ 5 × 10−5 cm2∕W and an unconventional behavior characterized by two different regimes. While the high-intensity regime can be easily explained in terms of a thermal indexing effect, the low-intensity regime is metastable and characterized by an unusual dependence on the irradiation energy. It is suggested that a change of the director configuration, possibly due to a light-induced modification of surface anchoring, is responsible for the observed behavior.
2015
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11566/228982
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 4
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 4
social impact