Analysis of key properties for optical power limiting and the influence of nonlinear scattering

In this paper, we propose ways to study the optical limiting behavior of dissolved nanoparticles. We want to present two different approaches. First, we identify the key properties responsible for the critical fluence threshold using a principal component analysis. For metallic nanoparticles, we found that the real part of the complex dielectric function must have a negative value as low as possible, while the imaginary part must be close to zero. Additionally, the solvent should have a low refractive index as well as a low absorption. Furthermore, nonlinear scattering seems to be an important limiting mechanism for nanoparticle limiters. Here, we present a thermal finite element model to predict the temporal evolution of the temperature profile in the nanoparticles and their vicinity. The temperature profile leads to vapor bubbles around the nanoparticles and Mie theory is used to calculate the induced scattering. We demonstrate the functionality of the model by simulating an Au-nanoparticle in an ethanol solution.

[1]  Gunnar Ritt,et al.  Protection of optical systems against laser radiation , 2009, Security + Defence.

[2]  J. Stone,et al.  Measurements of the Absorption of Light in Low-Loss Liquids , 1972 .

[3]  S M Oak,et al.  Investigation of optical limiting in iron oxide nanoparticles. , 2008, Optics express.

[4]  R. J. Bell,et al.  Optical properties of fourteen metals in the infrared and far infrared: Al, Co, Cu, Au, Fe, Pb, Mo, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ag, Ti, V, and W. , 1985, Applied optics.

[5]  T. P. Radhakrishnan,et al.  Nanoparticle-Embedded Polymer: In Situ Synthesis, Free-Standing Films with Highly Monodisperse Silver Nanoparticles and Optical Limiting , 2005 .

[6]  Amit Bansal,et al.  Simulated study of plasmonic coupling in noble bimetallic alloy nanosphere arrays , 2014 .

[7]  Jason E. Riggs,et al.  Organic and inorganic optical limiting materials. From fullerenes to nanoparticles , 1999 .

[8]  Wenfang Sun,et al.  Optical limiting of gold nanoparticle aggregates induced by electrolytes. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[9]  Wei Ji,et al.  Observation of saturable and reverse-saturable absorption at longitudinal surface plasmon resonance in gold nanorods , 2006 .

[10]  Jason E. Riggs,et al.  Strong Optical Limiting of Silver-Containing Nanocrystalline Particles in Stable Suspensions , 1999 .

[11]  M. J. Assael,et al.  Reference Correlation of the Thermal Conductivity of Methanol from the Triple Point to 660 K and up to 245 MPa , 2013 .

[12]  Alfredo Caro,et al.  Optical properties of Au-Ag alloys: An ellipsometric study , 2014 .

[13]  T. F. Boggess,et al.  A review of optical limiting mechanisms and devices using organics, fullerenes, semiconductors and other materials , 1993 .

[14]  Richard C. Hollins,et al.  Materials for optical limiters , 1999 .

[15]  Olivier Muller,et al.  Influence of the geometric shape of silver nanoparticles on optical limiting , 2012, Optics/Photonics in Security and Defence.

[16]  P. Jain,et al.  Calculated absorption and scattering properties of gold nanoparticles of different size, shape, and composition: applications in biological imaging and biomedicine. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[17]  Gunnar Ritt,et al.  Near- and off-resonant optical limiting properties of gold–silver alloy nanoparticles for intense nanosecond laser pulses , 2012 .

[18]  G. Mie.  Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell kolloidaler Metallösungen , 1908 .

[19]  Christian Mätzler,et al.  MATLAB Functions for Mie Scattering and Absorption , 2002 .

[20]  J. Howell,et al.  Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer , 2010 .

[21]  Vargaftik,et al.  Handbook of Physical Properties of Liquids and Gases , 1983 .

[22]  C. Mukherjee,et al.  Investigation of optical limiting in Cobalt nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation , 2013 .

[23]  Cabrera,et al.  Absorption coefficient of nearly transparent liquids measured using thermal lens spectrometry , 2006 .

[24]  R. J. Bell,et al.  Optical properties of the metals Al, Co, Cu, Au, Fe, Pb, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ag, Ti, and W in the infrared and far infrared. , 1983, Applied optics.

[25]  Shiliang Qu,et al.  Optical nonlinearities and optical limiting properties in gold nanoparticles protected by ligands , 2002 .

[26]  Shiliang Qu,et al.  A theoretical and experimental study on optical limiting in platinum nanoparticles , 2002 .

[27]  Gunnar Ritt,et al.  Optical limiting performance of nanoparticles in liquid and solid media , 2009, Security + Defence.

[28]  Dietrich Braess,et al.  Finite Elemente - Theorie, schnelle Löser und Anwendungen in der Elastizitätstheorie , 1992 .

[29]  Francesco Stellacci,et al.  Optical limiting with complex plasmonic nanoparticles , 2010 .

[30]  P. Prem Kiran,et al.  Nonlinear optical properties and surface-plasmon enhanced optical limiting in Ag – Cu nanoclusters co-doped in SiO 2 Sol-Gel films , 2004 .

[31]  Jacques A. Delaire,et al.  Optical Limitation induced by Gold Clusters. 1. Size Effect , 2000 .

[32]  Reji Philip,et al.  Nonlinear light transmission through oxide-protected Au and Ag nanoparticles: an investigation in the nanosecond domain , 2003 .

[33]  Miao Feng,et al.  Shape dependence of nonlinear optical behaviors of nanostructured silver and their silica gel glass composites , 2008 .

[34]  Gunnar Ritt,et al.  Size and shape effects on the nonlinear optical behavior of silver nanoparticles for power limiters. , 2013, Applied optics.

[35]  Chantal Andraud,et al.  Efficient hybrid materials for optical power limiting at telecommunication wavelengths , 2014 .

[36]  Dmitri Lapotko,et al.  Optical excitation and detection of vapor bubbles around plasmonic nanoparticles. , 2009, Optics express.

[37]  C. Flesia,et al.  Analytical multiple scattering extension of the mie theory , 1993 .

[38]  Thomas Wriedt,et al.  Refractive-index measurements in the near-IR using an Abbe refractometer , 1997 .

[39]  Wei Ji,et al.  Optical limiting properties of metal nanowires , 2006 .