Nonlinear optical characterisation of electrospun Benzil-PMMA nanofibers

• Published in: Optics and laser technology Vol. 168; p. 109898
• Main Authors: Pramod, Atheena, Yogeswari, C., Singh, Anurag Kumar, Girisun, T.C. Sabari, Konkada Manattayil, Jyothsna, Raghunathan, Varun, Nagalakshmi, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Benzil; Electrospinning; Nonlinear absorption; Optical limiters; Organic nanofibers; Second harmonic generation; Benzil; Electrospinning; Second harmonic generation; Nonlinear absorption; Optical limiters; Organic nanofibers
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2023.109898

•Synthesis of Benzil-PMMA nanofibers by electrospinning technique.•Confirmation of SHG from the nanofibers by nonlinear optical microscopy and Kurtz Perry technique.•Z-scan technique was used to investigate nonlinear absorption properties of the sample.•With increasing input intensity, a transition from saturable absorption to reverse saturable absorption was observed.•Benzil-PMMA nanofibers can be used for optical limiting applications. Nanofibers consisting of organic benzil nanocrystals embedded inside poly methyl methacrylate polymer have been synthesised by electrospinning technique and their nonlinear properties were discussed. Second harmonic generation (SHG) was confirmed by the emission of green light, when excited with Nd:YAG laser of 1064 nm wavelength using Kurtz Perry technique for powdered sample. A surprising switch in the nonlinear absorption behaviour of the synthesised nanofibers from saturable absorption at lower intensity (0.63 × 1012 Wm−2) to reverse saturable absorption at higher intensities (1.23 × 1012 Wm−2 and 2.46 × 1012 Wm−2) were observed and the corresponding absorption coefficients were calculated. Finally, the optical limiting property of the nanofibers were analysed and the limiting threshold was found to decrease with increase in input intensity. This switching of non-linear absorption behaviour makes benzil-PMMA nanofibers a promising candidate for applications in pulse shaping, power limiting and self-pulsation in lasers.