Z-scan studies in the thin- and the thick-sample limits

Z-scan studies have been carried out on CS2 with a 6.5-ns, doubled Nd:YAG source. Sample thicknesses ranged from the nearly thin- through the thick-sample regime. The data were analyzed with both an analytic theory, correct to first order in irradiance, and a Gaussian Laguerre modal-decomposition modeling approach, correct to all orders. It was found that the 2 values obtained through both methods of analysis were in agreement to within 10%. The results also indicate that a suitable thickness for a self-focusing optical power limiter is six times the Rayleigh length in the medium

OPTICAL BISTABILITY IN MOLECULAR BEAM DEPOSITED ZnSe/BaF2 MULTILAYER INTERFERENCE FILTERS

Complete interference filters have been fabricated using ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam techniques and optically assessed. The wavelength dependence of optical bistability is compared with theory between 676 and 521nm for a 6 µm thick filter with ZnSe/BaF2 multilayer reflectors. Both dispersive bistability and bistability due to increasing absorption were observed at 514nm