Signs of nonlinear refraction in chloroaluminum phthalocyanine solution

Abstract

Opposite signs of nonlinear refraction in chloroaluminum (ClAl) phthalocyanine (Pc) dissolved in methanol are observed using the Z-scan technique with two output modes of a frequency-doubled, Q-switched, mode-locked Nd:YAG laser operating at 10 Hz. Using the single picosecond (ps) pulses switched out of the pulse trains, positive nonlinear refraction is observed and attributed to population transitions among ClAlPc’s singlet states. Using the full nanosecond pulse trains, a sign change of nonlinear refraction relative to that of single ps-pulse excitation is observed, and is attributed to the heat-induced temperature rise and the population relaxing to ClAlPc’s triplet states.