• Photonics Research
  • Vol. 9, Issue 5, 678 (2021)
Hao Ma1、2、3, Yuanan Zhao1、2、3、*, Yuchen Shao1、2、3, Yafei Lian1、2、3, Weili Zhang1、2、3, Guohang Hu1、2、3, Yuxin Leng4, and Jianda Shao1、2、3、5、6
Author Affiliations
  • 1Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
  • 2Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • 3Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
  • 4State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
  • 5Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
  • 6e-mail: jdshao@siom.ac.cn
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    DOI: 10.1364/PRJ.417642 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Hao Ma, Yuanan Zhao, Yuchen Shao, Yafei Lian, Weili Zhang, Guohang Hu, Yuxin Leng, Jianda Shao. Principles to tailor the saturable and reverse saturable absorption of epsilon-near-zero material[J]. Photonics Research, 2021, 9(5): 678 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) films have recently emerged as a new class of functional materials for nonlinear optical (NLO) devices due to their exotic properties around epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) wavelength. Here, we experimentally investigated and tailored the NLO absorption properties of ITO films. The NLO absorption response of ITO films is investigated by using the femtosecond Z-scan measurement technique at two different wavelengths of 1030 nm (out of ENZ region) and 1440 nm (within ENZ region). Interestingly, we observed conversion behavior from saturable absorption (SA) to reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at 1030 nm with the increasing incident laser intensity, whereas only SA behavior was observed at 1440 nm. We demonstrate that SA behavior was ascribed to ground-state free electrons bleaching in the conduction band, and RSA was attributed to three-photon absorption. Moreover, results reveal that ITO film shows more excellent SA performance at 1440 nm with a nonlinear absorption coefficient of -23.2 cm/GW and a figure of merit of 1.22×10-16 esu·cm. Furthermore, we tailored the SA and RSA behaviors of ITO films at 1030 and 1440 nm wavelengths via post-annealing treatment. The modulatable NLO absorption was ascribed to the changing of free-carrier concentration in ITO films via annealing treatment. The experimental findings offered an inroad for researchers to tailor its NLO absorption properties by changing the free-carrier concentration through chemical modification such as annealing, oxidation, or defect implantation. The superior and tunable nonlinear optical response suggests that ITO film might be employed as a new class material with potential applications in novel optical switches or optical limiters to realize the all-optical information process.
    ε(ω)=1ωp,b2ω2ω0,b2+iγbωωp2ω2+iγfω.

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    α(I)=α01+I/Is+γI2,

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    dIdz=α(I)I.

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    T(z)=m=0[q0(z,0)]m(m+1)3/2,q0(z,0)=βLeffI01+z2/z02,

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    T(z)=14Δϕ0(z/z0)(1+z2/z02)+(9+z2/z02),

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    Imχ(3)=43n0ε0c(n0βλ4π+n0n2).

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    Hao Ma, Yuanan Zhao, Yuchen Shao, Yafei Lian, Weili Zhang, Guohang Hu, Yuxin Leng, Jianda Shao. Principles to tailor the saturable and reverse saturable absorption of epsilon-near-zero material[J]. Photonics Research, 2021, 9(5): 678
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