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The Nonlinear Optics Web Site

Tutorials

The tutorials here introduce the important ideas needed to understand nonlinear optics

Basic Nonlinear Optics

This tutorial develops nonlinear optics using simple physical arguments and is meant as an introduction for beginners.

Table of Contents

Introduction to light and matter

Light-matter interactions

Polarizing matter

Polarizability and hyperpolarizability

Tensor and temporal properties of the response

Quantum model of polarizability (pdf file)

Scale Invarience

Nonlinear Photomechanics

Nonlinear optics is based on light-induced changes the optical properties of material. In analogy, nonlinear photomechanics deals with the phenomena of light-induced changes of a material's mechanical properties. Combining nonlinear optics with nonlinear mechanics can lead to super-intelligent morphing materials.

Table of Contents

Overview of photomechanics

History

All-optical photomechanical devices

Photomechanical architectures

Photomechanical Mechanisms

Making Samples

Getting good experimental results requires making good samples. Here are the nuts and bolts of sample preparation.

Thin Films

Making a high optical quality thin film sample requires a clean substrate. A voltage can be applied to a sample using glass substrates that are coated with transparent Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) as an electrode.

Cleaning and patterning ITO glass substrates

Making thin films by spin coating