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Nonlinear Optical Probes and Processes in Polymers and Liquid ...

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30<br />

d<br />

E a<br />

<br />

2<br />

3<br />

<br />

1<br />

1 <br />

4<br />

Polymer composite<br />

4<br />

Detector<br />

ITO-covered glass<br />

Figure 2.4: Four-wave mix<strong>in</strong>g experimental geometry.<br />

by beams 1 <strong>and</strong> 2. The <strong>in</strong>tensity of the diffracted part (e.g. of beam 4) is the quan-<br />

tity measured <strong>in</strong> the FWM experiment. The parameter of <strong>in</strong>terest obta<strong>in</strong>ed from the<br />

FWM experiment is the diffraction efficiency, def<strong>in</strong>ed as the ratio of the diffracted<br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>cident (read<strong>in</strong>g) beam <strong>in</strong>tensities: η = I4/I3. Depend<strong>in</strong>g on the application,<br />

either the steady-state diffraction efficiency or its dynamics (PR speed) are of primary<br />

<strong>in</strong>terest. In this thesis, I was mostly concerned with the PR rise time, or how fast the<br />

diffraction grat<strong>in</strong>g formed <strong>in</strong> the PR material. A large part of this manuscript will be<br />

devoted to the PR speed <strong>and</strong> factors that determ<strong>in</strong>e the PR dynamical performance.<br />

The geometry shown <strong>in</strong> Figure 2.4, with the probe beam counter-propagat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to one of the writ<strong>in</strong>g beams is most often used, s<strong>in</strong>ce it allows for background-free<br />

detection of weak diffracted signals.<br />

Another important feature of the experiment is that the probe beam should be

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