Sensitivity-enhanced reflection Z-scan by oblique incidence of a polarized beam

Abstract

We demonstrate a new experimental method which allows the measurement of the nonlinear optic index in absorptive media with great sensitivity. In this technique the reflection from a polarized Gaussian laser beam close to the Brewster angle is measured. A sensitivity enhancement factor of 30 with respect to other techniques is observed for an optical crystal, and higher values are possible to be obtained.