Light-induced thermodiffusion in two-component media

Abstract

We have theoretically studied the optical transmittance response of thin cell with liquid containing absorbing nanoparticles in a Gaussian beam field. The transmittance spatial changing is caused by thermal diffusion phenomenon (Soret effect) which produces the variations of concentration of absorbing nanoparticles. The thickness of optical cell (including windows) is significantly less than the size of the beam. As a result, an exact analytical expression for the one dimensional thermal task is derived, taking into account the Soret feedback that leads to the temperature rising on the axis of a Gaussian beam. We have experimentally studied this phenomenon in carbon nanosuspension.