Measurement of the Electronic Third Order Nonlinearity of a Soluble Polycarbazolyldiacetylene by Z-scan at 1064 and 1500 nm

The complex c(3) of toluene solutions of polydiacetylene polyDCHD-HS was measured by using Z-scan at l = 1064 and 1500 nm and with picosecond pulses, in order to estimate the potentials of this polymer for application to all optical switching devices. The values of the real part of molecular hyperpolarizability g were –2.3 10-47 m5/V2 and –3 10-47 m5/V2 at 1064 and 1500 nm, respectively. The nonlinear absorption could be better modelled with a three-photon process at both wavelengths, instead of the expected two-photon mechanism.