Optical power limiting of fullerenes

Abstract

Optical power limiting processes in C60 solutions have been measured in a double-pass geometry designed to produce high beam attenuation. Based on the concentration of C60 and measured attenuation of laser fluence, it was found that, at high intensities, more than 100 visible (532 nm) photons per C60 molecule can be absorbed during a single 7-nanosecond laser pulse. The requisite features of such efficacious attenuation mechanisms are briefly discussed and a model meeting the requirements is described.