Nonlinear optical properties of thin film composite materials

Several groups have proposed the use of composite materials as a means of achieving large values of the third-order susceptibility /spl chi//sup (3/). One proposal involves forming a composite of alternating layers of two different materials with layer thicknesses much smaller than an optical wavelength. The angular dependence of the nonlinear optical response of this material can offer a means to determine quantitatively the extent to which the /spl chi/((3)) susceptibility is enhanced. In the present paper, we report the results of our experimental study of this angular dependence. We find that the angular dependence is in good qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions.<
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