Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Applied Physics Letters

Reverse saturable absorption in solid xerogel matrices

F.F.L. Bentivegna, Michael Canva, Patrick Georges, Alain Brun, Fréderic Chaput, Laurent Malier, Jean‐Pierre Boilot

Published Apr 12, 1993• 79 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Aluminophthalocyanine (APC) and fullerene carbon 60 (C60) have been studied encaged in different silica matrices. The reverse saturable absorption properties of these doped xerogels have been compared to those of reference solutions of APC and C60. We show that reverse saturable absorber molecules retain their properties even when they are enclosed in the pores of a solid xerogel matrix.

DOI
10.1063/1.109585

Related papers

Reverse saturable absorption and saturable absorption in doped xerogels

Marc Brunel, Michael Canva, Alain Brun +2 more

Organic molecules often present, at given wavelengths, reverse saturable absorption behavior:1–5 at low fluences, the absorption is weak; at high fluences, some molecules are excited to the first excited state whose absorption is greater. Aluminophthalocyanines encaged in solid inorganic xerogel silica matrices obtained from tetraethoxysilane precursors present this behavior.5 Similar results are also obtained with mixed organic/inorganic doped matrices.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jan 1, 1994•0 citations

Reverse saturable absorption in C60-doped porous glasses studied by single- and double-pulse pump–probe experiments

Jochen Schell, D. Ohlmann, Dirk Brinkmann +4 more

We investigate the nonlinear absorption of C60-doped porous sol-gel glasses by single- and double-pulse pump–probe experiments. We find that the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) of these samples can be explained in the frame of a five level system as it is commonly used for C60 solutions. We observe a strong saturation of the RSA at high fluences, especially if the molecules are prepared in the triplet state. In a double-pulse pump–probe experiment we measure the triplet quantum yield for C60 solutions (0.8) and doped glasses (0.25) and the singlet and triplet absorption cross sections. In the first excited singlet state (S1) lifetimes of 1 ns and 65 ps are determined in solutions and glasses, respectively. We find that the dynamics of both depopulation processes, direct S1–S0 relaxation, and intersystem crossing is faster in glasses than in the case where C60 is in solution in a liquid aromatic solvent. We tentatively explain these findings by the absence of a stabilizing solvent and a perturbation of the molecular energy levels due to interaction with the solid glass matrix. We finally determine the lifetime of the triplet states in our glass samples to 2 μs.

The Journal of Chemical Physics•Oct 1, 1999•28 citations

Reverse Saturable Optical Absorption of C60, Soluble Methanofullerenes, and Fullerodendrimers in Sol-Gel Mesoporous Silica Host Matrices

Yannick Rio, Delphine Felder‐Flesch, Giedrius Kopitkovas +4 more

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology•Jan 1, 2003•11 citations

Reverse saturable absorption and saturable absorption in doped xerogels

Marc Brunei, Michael Canva, Alain Brun +2 more

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Aug 24, 2005•0 citations

Dynamics of reverse saturable absorption and all-optical switching in C_60

Chunfei Li, Lei Zhang, Ruibo Wang +2 more

The dynamic processes of reverse saturable absorption (RSA) in a solution of C60 are studied in detail by use of rate equations and the light-propagation equation for a five-energy-level model. The RSA experimental results for C60 in toluene solution with a nanosecond–picosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm are consistent with the theoretical simulations. Effects of sample concentration and thickness on RSA and contributions of the singlet and triplet excited states to RSA for various laser-pulse widths and wavelengths are also analyzed. Finally, an all-optical switch based on excited-state nonlinear absorption and the pump-probe technique is implemented.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Aug 1, 1994•118 citations

Transition from saturable to reverse saturable absorption in multi-walled carbon nanotube-doped sol-gel hybrid glasses

Raphi Dror, Z. Burshtein, Mariana Pokrass +1 more

Transition dynamics from optical saturable absorption (SA) to reverse saturable absorption (RSA) in multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-doped fast sol-gel hybrid organic/inorganic glasses was studied by optical transmission of 532 nm laser pulses. Exposure to 6 ns long, temporally isolated single pulses of energies between 10−3 and 2×10−2 J/cm2 exhibited SA. Exposure to 1.5 ns long, 11 kHz repetitive pulses of energies between 2×10−2 and 1 J/cm2 exhibited a gradual development of RSA at a rate that increases with the pulse energy. SA results were analyzed by the slow saturable absorber theory, yielding a ground-state absorption cross section σgs=(1.5±0.1)×10−14 cm2 for a (2.0±0.13)×1015 cm−3 density of states. The first excited state absorption cross section was σes1=(9.3±0.6)×10−16 cm2 for a much higher, (2.3±0.15)×1016 cm−3, density of states. The SA/RSA transition temporal evolution effects were modeled by a five-level energy scheme. The numerical simulation yielded light-intensity dependent parameters: ground-state densities decreasing from (9±0.5)×1022 to (2±0.1)×1021 cm−3; ground-state absorption cross sections increasing from (2±0.1)×10−22 to (9.0±0.5)×10−21 cm2; and excited state absorption cross sections increasing from (7.8±0.4)×10−22 to (3.3±0.15)×10−20 cm2. The occurrence of such huge state densities is consistent with observation by others on the formation of ionized carbon-black particles as plasma states under illumination.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Sep 24, 2015•3 citations
Aluminophthalocyanine (APC) and fullerene carbon 60 (C60) have been studied encaged in different silica matrices. The reverse saturable absorption properties of these doped xerogels have been compared to those of reference solutions of APC and C60. We show that reverse saturable absorber molecules retain their properties even when they are enclosed in the pores of a solid xerogel matrix.
We investigate the nonlinear absorption of C60-doped porous sol-gel glasses by single- and double-pulse pump–probe experiments. We find that the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) of these samples can be explained in the frame of a five level system as it is commonly used for C60 solutions. We observe a strong saturation of the RSA at high fluences, especially if the molecules are prepared in the triplet state. In a double-pulse pump–probe experiment we measure the triplet quantum yield for C60 solutions (0.8) and doped glasses (0.25) and the singlet and triplet absorption cross sections. In the first excited singlet state (S1) lifetimes of 1 ns and 65 ps are determined in solutions and glasses, respectively. We find that the dynamics of both depopulation processes, direct S1–S0 relaxation, and intersystem crossing is faster in glasses than in the case where C60 is in solution in a liquid aromatic solvent. We tentatively explain these findings by the absence of a stabilizing solvent and a perturbation of the molecular energy levels due to interaction with the solid glass matrix. We finally determine the lifetime of the triplet states in our glass samples to 2 μs.
The dynamic processes of reverse saturable absorption (RSA) in a solution of C60 are studied in detail by use of rate equations and the light-propagation equation for a five-energy-level model. The RSA experimental results for C60 in toluene solution with a nanosecond–picosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm are consistent with the theoretical simulations. Effects of sample concentration and thickness on RSA and contributions of the singlet and triplet excited states to RSA for various laser-pulse widths and wavelengths are also analyzed. Finally, an all-optical switch based on excited-state nonlinear absorption and the pump-probe technique is implemented.
Transition dynamics from optical saturable absorption (SA) to reverse saturable absorption (RSA) in multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-doped fast sol-gel hybrid organic/inorganic glasses was studied by optical transmission of 532 nm laser pulses. Exposure to 6 ns long, temporally isolated single pulses of energies between 10−3 and 2×10−2 J/cm2 exhibited SA. Exposure to 1.5 ns long, 11 kHz repetitive pulses of energies between 2×10−2 and 1 J/cm2 exhibited a gradual development of RSA at a rate that increases with the pulse energy. SA results were analyzed by the slow saturable absorber theory, yielding a ground-state absorption cross section σgs=(1.5±0.1)×10−14 cm2 for a (2.0±0.13)×1015 cm−3 density of states. The first excited state absorption cross section was σes1=(9.3±0.6)×10−16 cm2 for a much higher, (2.3±0.15)×1016 cm−3, density of states. The SA/RSA transition temporal evolution effects were modeled by a five-level energy scheme. The numerical simulation yielded light-intensity dependent parameters: ground-state densities decreasing from (9±0.5)×1022 to (2±0.1)×1021 cm−3; ground-state absorption cross sections increasing from (2±0.1)×10−22 to (9.0±0.5)×10−21 cm2; and excited state absorption cross sections increasing from (7.8±0.4)×10−22 to (3.3±0.15)×10−20 cm2. The occurrence of such huge state densities is consistent with observation by others on the formation of ionized carbon-black particles as plasma states under illumination.