Third‐Harmonic Generation from Some Chalcogenide Glasses

Third-order optical nonlinear susceptibilities (χ(3)) of some high-refractive-index chalcogenide glasses were evaluated from third-harmonic generation. Compared with oxide glasses whose χ(3) has been known, χ(3) of the present glasses was higher by an order of magnitude. The addition of selenium drastically increased χ(3). The highest χ(3) was 1.4 × 10–11 esu, being comparable with those of high-χ(3)-organic compounds. Further, χ(3) generally increased with increasing density in the present glasses.