title: Femtosecond measurements of two-photon absorption coefficients at lambda = 264 nm in glasses, crystals, and liquids.
abstract: Using ultraviolet femtosecond pulses with high irradiance stability, we measured the two-photon absorption (TPA) coefficients in a number of substances with a total accuracy of approximately 10%. Six commercial fused-silica samples (KU-1, Coming 7940, SQ, Suprasil, Herasil, and Infrasil) possess TPA coefficients (beta values) of approximately 2 x 10(-11) cm/W. For crystalline quartz and sapphire, the following beta values were obtained: (1.2 +/- 0.2) x 10(-11) and (9.4 +/- 1.2) x 10(-11) cm/W, respectively. In beta-barium borate crystal the TPA coefficient depends on crystal cut, beam polarization, or both and varies from (47 +/- 5) x 10(-11) to (68 +/- 6) x 10(-11) cm/W. For eight liquids that were studied (water, heavy water, ethanol, methanol, hexane, cyclohexane, 1,2-dichloroethane, and chloroform) the beta value lies from (34 +/- 3) x 10(-11) to (95 +/- 11) x 10(-11) cm/W.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National University of Ireland, University College Cork.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dragonmir
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McInerney
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Nikogosyan