Wahlstrand, J.
and Cruz, C.
(2026),
Precise measurement of the Kerr coefficient using phase-sensitive pump-probe hyperspectral imaging, Review of Scientific Instruments, [online], https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0331814, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=961503 (Accessed September 12, 2026)
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Precise measurement of the Kerr coefficient using phase-sensitive pump-probe hyperspectral imaging
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Abstract
Phase-sensitive pump-probe hyperspectral imaging is a precise technique for absolute two-beam measurements of the optical Kerr coefficient (n2). The irradiance profile is characterized and background effects are rejected by rastering the pump beam across the probe beam to yield a complex-valued hyperspectral image of the pump-induced nonlinear response. Information about the temporal irradiance profile is carried in the spectral response. The technique is demonstrated by measuring n2 of a fused silica sample near 1000 nm wavelength and benchmarked against a measurement using Z-scan. Reasonable agreement is found when the two-beam grating effect from the Raman contribution to the nonlinearity is considered. Uncertainty contributions are described in detail and the outlook is discussed for improvements in precision.Citation
Review of Scientific Instruments
Volume
97
Issue
8
Pub Type
Journals
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Keywords
Pump-probe spectroscopy, optical Kerr effect, nonlinear optics, metrology
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Created August 5, 2026, Updated September 11, 2026