The values of the nonlinear refractive index coefficient for various materials in the terahertz frequency range exceed the ones in both visible and NIR ranges by several orders of magnitude. We report the direct measurement of the nonlinear refractive index coefficient of liquid water by using the Z-scan method with broadband pulsed THz beam. Our experimental result shows that nonlinear refractive index coefficient in water is positive and can be as large as 3.5×10 −10 cm 2 /W in the THz frequency range, which exceeds the ones for the visible and NIR ranges by 6 orders of magnitude.

No abstract

Despite the growing interest in nonlinear devices and components for light by light control in the terahertz range, there is a shortage of such materials and media used for these purposes. Here, we present the calculated values of low-inertia nonlinear refractive index coefficient for electro-optical crystals used in THz time-domain spectroscopy systems such as ZnSe, ZnTe, CdTe, GaP, and LiNbO3. The medium parameters affecting the cubic nonlinearity of the vibrational nature increase in the range of 0.5–1 THz have been determined. Comparison of theoretical calculations with known experimental results confirm the theoretical model as well as our analysis of media parameter influence on the cubic nonlinearity. In terms of applications, results obtained open up new perspectives for studying various materials in the THz frequency range.

Modern sources of THz radiation generate high-intensity pulses allowing to observe nonlinear effects in this spectral range. To describe many nonlinear effects theoretically, it is necessary to know the nonlinear refractive index coefficient of optical materials. The work studies the applicability of the Z-scan method to determine the nonlinear refractive index coefficient in the THz frequency range for few-cycle pulses. We have discussed the correctness of the known Z-scan method for calculating the nonlinear refractive index coefficient for broadband THz radiation regarding number of cycles pulses have. We have demonstrated that the error in determining the nonlinear refractive index coefficient is always greater than 70% for true single-cycle pulses. With the increase in the number of oscillations to the measurement error shows strong dependence on the sample thickness and can vary from 2% to 90% regarding the parameters chosen. The fact that such radiation dispersion length is commensurate with the nonlinear length or even less than the latter results in the discrepancy mentioned. It is demonstrated that the decrease in the sample thickness leads to the reduction of the nonlinear refractive index coefficient determination error, and this error is <2% when the ratio between the sample thickness and the pulse longitudinal spatial size is ≤1. This can relate to the fact that the nonlinear effects in such a thin sample occur faster than the dispersion ones.

No abstract