title: Nonlinear birefringence due to non-resonant, higher-order Kerr effect in isotropic media.
abstract: The recent interpretation of experiments on the nonlinear non-resonant birefringence induced in a weak probe beam by a high intensity pump beam in air and its constituents has stimulated interest in the non-resonant birefringence due to higher-order Kerr nonlinearities. Here a simple formalism is invoked to determine the non-resonant birefringence for higher-order Kerr coefficients. Some general relations between nonlinear coefficients with arbitrary frequency inputs are also derived for isotropic media. It is shown that the previous linear extrapolations for higher-order birefringence (based on literature values of n2 and n4) are not strictly valid, although the errors introduced in the values of the reported higher- order Kerr coefficients are a few percent.
authors: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Greece. george@creol.ucf.edu
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Stegeman
authors: Dimitris G
authors: DG
authors: Papazoglou
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Boyd
authors: Stelios
authors: S
authors: Tzortzakis
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation