Third-order Nonlinear Properties Research Articles

Defect-controlled fabrication of reduced graphene oxide/ZnO/PMMA-based solid-state optical limiting filters with SA/RSA switching property

A solid-state optical limiting filter was fabricated by noncovalently functionalizing a graphene-based nanocomposite with a polymer. Graphene oxide was reduced by varying reducing agent concentration and functionalized with metal oxide nanoparticles to enhance electronic transitions and third-order nonlinear optical characteristics. The nanocomposite was dispersed over the PMMA polymer framework, and thin films with μm-scale thickness were fabricated using the dip coating method. XRD analysis confirmed the wurtzite crystal structure of ZnO nanoparticles and the amorphous nature of PMMA. The carbon structural integrity was analyzed using Raman spectra. Linear optical studies revealed a redshift in the π-π* transition peak in rGO, suggesting enhanced conjugation. Third-order nonlinear refraction and absorption properties were assessed using the Z-scan technique, revealing a switching behavior in nonlinear absorption at different input intensities. An increase in the relative concentration of sp2 domains enhanced the nonlinear absorption. Optical limiting potential, determined using open aperture Z-scan data, yielded a threshold value of 0.066 GW/cm2. This study aims to develop a solid-state optical filter with a high laser damage threshold by adjusting the reduction rate, tuning defect levels, and analyzing its effect on the optical limiting potential.

Investigation of the third-order optical nonlinear enhancement properties of Ag doped chalcogenide glass films

Chalcogenide glass is widely recognized as an excellent nonlinear optical material. Enhancing its nonlinear optical properties through metal doping has emerged as a prominent research avenue in the field of chalcogenide glass. In this paper, silver (Ag) doped Ge28Sb12Se60 (GSS) chalcogenide glass films with different concentrations were prepared by co-evaporation method. The nonlinear absorption coefficients (β) of different samples were investigated by open-aperture top-hat Z-scan experiments and pump-probe experiments, and the nonlinear refractive index (γ) values were determined using the Tichy-Ticha relation. The results showed that the nonlinear absorption of GSS thin films can be improved by Ag doping. The nonlinear absorption coefficient β exhibits the maximum enhancement of about 2.5 times at 8.3% concentration, with the maximum β reaching 1.83×10−6 m/W. The nonlinear absorption mechanism observed in the thin films can be attributed to free carrier absorption, and the free carrier lifetime is positively correlated with the Ag doping concentration. Within the selected Ag concentration range, the nonlinear refractive index (γ) of Ag doped chalcogenide glass films continues to increase, reaching about 3 times at 30.7% concentration, with the maximum γ being 4.643×10−17 m2/W. Additionally, the third-order nonlinear polarizability (χ(3)) values can be increased from 1.014×10−11 esu to 3.314×10−11 esu with increasing Ag concentration. The research results in present paper are of great significance for further exploration of the optical nonlinear enhancement properties and carrier recombination dynamics in chalcogenide glass.

Introducing Optical Nonlinearity in PDMS Using Organic Solvent Swelling

The feasibility of introducing optical nonlinearity in poly-dimethyl siloxane (PDMS) using organic solvent swelling was investigated. The third-order nonlinear refraction and absorption properties of the individual materials, as well as the PDMS/solvent compounds after swelling were characterized. The well-established Z-scan technique served as characterization method for the nonlinear properties under picosecond pulsed laser excitation at a 532 nm wavelength. These experiments included investigations on the organic solvents nitrobenzene, 2,6-lutidine, and toluene, which showed inherent optical nonlinearity. We showed that nitrobenzene, one of the most well-known nonlinear optical materials, has proven suboptimal in this context due to its limited swelling effect in PDMS and comparatively high (non)linear absorption, resulting in undesirable thermal effects and potential photo-induced damage in the composite material. Toluene and 2,6-lutidine not only exhibited lower absorption compared to nitrobenzene but also show a more pronounced swelling effect in PDMS. The incorporation of toluene caused a weight change of up to 116% of PDMS, resulting in substantial nonlinear optical effects, reflected in the nonlinear refractive index of the PDMS/toluene composite n2=3.1×10−15 cm2/W.

Shock-wave-induced variation in structural, optical and third-order nonlinear properties of an L-ascorbic acid single crystal

The utilization of shock waves plays a pivotal role in the advancement of multiple scientific domains like aerospace, defense, geology, environment, medicine and many more. They serve as essential tools in scientific investigations, enabling the exploration of material behavior under extreme conditions, viz. elevated pressure and temperature. The present study is specifically dedicated to scrutinizing the repercussions of shock waves on an L-ascorbic acid single crystal, to which they were intentionally applied to assess their influence on structural, optical and third-order nonlinearity properties. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis unveiled a discernible overall enhancement in the crystalline quality of the grown crystal following exposure to shock waves. This observation was consistently corroborated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction data, particularly on the (200) crystallographic planes. Furthermore, the optical transmittance of the crystal exhibited a notable increase upon the application of shock waves, while the material's band gap remained unaffected. In parallel, the third-order nonlinearity of the crystal was found to undergo a significant augmentation as a consequence of the shock treatment, as confirmed through Z-scan measurements. These empirical findings unequivocally demonstrate the substantial enhancement in the structural, optical and nonlinear properties of the grown crystal when subjected to shock waves, rendering it well suited for nonlinear optical applications.

Superior optical limiting performance of lead-free metal halide perovskites nano-crystals embedded chalcogenide glass

The nonlinear optical properties of metal halide perovskites (MHP) are highly attractive, making them an emerging hotspot in the field of perovskite photonics. In this study, the third-order optical nonlinear properties of lead-free MHP (CsSnCl3) nano-crystals (NCs) embedded in a chalcogenide glass (GeS2-Sb2S3) substrate were characterized using the Z-scan technique. The spectral range examined was from 750 to 900 nm. Experimental results revealed that the incorporation of CsSnCl3 NCs enhanced the nonlinear refraction and nonlinear absorption behavior of the GeS2-Sb2S3 glass. Furthermore, the magnitude of these effects increased with the growth size of the CsSnCl3 NCs. Importantly, the MHP glasses exhibited strong two-photon absorption due to the large multiple-absorption cross-section of MHP crystals and the intrinsic high optical nonlinearity of the chalcogenide glass. The superior optical limiting performance induced by this process was successfully demonstrated.

Enhancement of optical, electrical, mechanical and thermal properties with Hirshfeld surface analysis of organic piperazine para-nitrophenol crystals: An effective material for NLO device fabrication

Exploring the diversity of materials and improving their usage in real-time applications is very important. Here, the organic piperazine para-nitrophenol (PPNP) single crystals were successfully grown using methanol and mixed solvent (methanol 50%-water 50%) by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. Single and poly-crystal XRD, UV–visible, and FT-IR/Raman studies revealed that the PPNP compound is monoclinic centro-symmetric (CS) with low cutoff wavelength and various functional groups. Fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed that the intense peak was observed in the red region. Hirshfeld surface analysis, fingerprint plot and framework explore the strength of the synthesized compounds' intermolecular interactions. The melting point of grown crystals was about 114 °C by thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal (TG-DTA) analyses. A chemical etching study was carried out on the grown crystal. Nd: YAG laser beam was used to evaluate the laser damage value of the crystal. The dielectric constant (ε՛) and dielectric loss (ε՛՛) of crystals have been studied as a function of frequency and temperatures. The PPNP has a third harmonic generation active crystal structure and exhibits featured absorption and fluorescent properties. A Z-scan technique characterized the improved third-order optical nonlinear properties of the crystal. It is a promising aspirant in optoelectronic devices as it enhancement the linear and nonlinear, encouraging results of organic PPNP.

Linear and third-order nonlinear optical properties of spray pyrolysis deposited Mn doped ZnS nanostructured thin films for optoelectronic device applications

The undoped and 10 wt% of Mn-doped ZnS thin films have been deposited on a glass substrate at 350 °C using the spray pyrolysis technique. The structural, morphological, linear and third-order nonlinear (NLO) properties are reported. The XRD pattern showed that ZnS thin film has a cubic structure. The FESEM images show the uniformity of coating and improvement in the smoothness of the surface after adding the Mn dopant to the ZnS lattice. Using a UV–VIS spectrophotometer the optical energy band gap of ZnS film was found to be 3.71 eV and for 10 wt% of Mn-ZnS is 3.76 eV. By the method of Z-scan, the materials demonstrated good nonlinear absorption (NLA), nonlinear refraction (NLR) and third-order NLO susceptibilities. The magnitude of third-order NLO susceptibilities (χ)(3) 10-6 esu, NLA coefficient (β) 10-5 mW−1 and nonlinear refraction (n2) 10-8 cm2/W. The positive findings of NLO of Mn: ZnS thin film as optoelectronic devices and optical switching applications.

Chitosan, a Cationic Polymer-Loaded CuS:Ni Nanoparticles Well Suited for Pseudocapacitors, Optical Switching and Spintronic Devices

Chitosan, a cationic polymer, is loaded on Ni-doped copper monosulfide (CuS) NPs with optimal Ni doping concentration, and electrochemical, third-order nonlinear, magnetic and antibacterial characteristics of chitosan unloaded and loaded CuS:Ni nanoparticles are compared. The crystallite size of pure CuS increased with Ni doping and the 10[Formula: see text]wt.% Ni-doped CuS NPs exhibit a maximum crystallite size of 41[Formula: see text]nm. The presence of Ni in the doped samples was acknowledged by the existence of Ni 2p[Formula: see text] and Ni 2p[Formula: see text] peaks at binding energies 851[Formula: see text]eV and 873.1[Formula: see text]eV, respectively from the XPS spectrum. Optical reflectance decreased with Ni doping and the optical band gap varied from 2.56[Formula: see text]eV to 2.4[Formula: see text]eV. Specific capacitance increased with Ni doping. Diamagnetic nature of CuS changed to ferromagnetic with Ni doping. The 10[Formula: see text]wt.% Ni-doped CuS exhibits a high third-order nonlinear absorption coefficient and susceptibility value. Bacterial growth inhibition nature of CuS improved with Ni doping. Among the doped samples, the 10[Formula: see text]wt.% Ni-doped sample exhibits improved electrochemical, third-order nonlinear, magnetic and antibacterial properties. Keeping this as the optimized Ni concentration, chitosan was loaded. Chitosan-loaded samples exhibited a reduction in crystallite size and an increase in band gap. A high specific capacitance of 96[Formula: see text]F/g was realized for the chitosan-loaded sample. Saturation magnetization of 10[Formula: see text]wt.% CuS:Ni decreased with chitosan loading.

Porphyrin metal-organic frameworks with bilayer and pillar-layered frameworks and third-order nonlinear optical properties.

It is recognized that dimensions have a decisive influence on the properties of materials. Metal-organic frameworks as third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have attracted much attention recently. However, research on the influence of dimensions on third-order NLO properties of MOFs has not been reported. In this work, we synthesized two porphyrin MOFs (PMOFs) constructed with π-conjugated tetracarboxyphenylporphyrin (TCPP) and in situ formed 1,2-bis(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)ethene (BIE) conjugated ligands. In both PMOFs, Zn2(CO2)4 paddlewheel units are connected by TCPP-Zn ligands to form a 2D layer. Interestingly, these layers are linked by BIE ligands to form a bilayer in PMOF-1 and a 3D pillar-layered framework in PMOF-2, which serve as structural models to evaluate the influence of dimensions on third-order NLO properties. It is speculated that the 3D pillar-layered framework in PMOF-2 with BIE conjugated pillars is more conducive to interlayer charge transfer than the two-dimensional bilayer in PMOF-1, thus achieving a better third-order NLO performance. The third-order NLO test results of PMOFs in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix showed that PMOF-2 displayed a higher nonlinear absorption coefficient, large third-order susceptibility and lower limiting threshold than PMOF-1/PDMS, which may be mainly attributed to the fact that the 3D pillar-layered framework is more conducive to interlayer charge transfer than the two-dimensional bilayer. This work reveals the influence of dimensions on third-order nonlinear properties which will help to explore new MOF materials with excellent third-order NLO properties.

Synthesis and third-order nonlinear properties of D-A-D structure acridone derivatives

Synthesis and third-order nonlinear properties of D-A-D structure acridone derivatives

Optical Properties of New Third-Order Nonlinear Materials Modified by Click Chemistry.

A high-yielding click reaction was used to synthesize a series of highly conjugated, symmetrical, as well as asymmetrical compounds with a benzene core. Cyclic voltammetry and ultraviolet/visible absorption spectroscopy were carried out, and proved that the side groups of the benzene derivatives played an important role in the energy gaps, and affected the third-order non-linear optical response. The maximum absorption wavelength of the series of benzene derivatives showed an obvious red-shift. Moreover, the addition of resilient electron-withdrawing groups significantly narrowed the energy levels as compared with precursors. The third-order nonlinear properties of this benzene derivative were tested by the Z-scan technique. The expected properties of this series of molecules were obtained, and it was found that the series of molecules undergoes a transition from reverse saturable absorption to saturable absorption, which has certain reference significance for a nonlinear optical field.

Phenothiazine metal-organic framework materials with excellent third-order nonlinear properties

The third-order nonlinear optical material with excellent performance is a molecule with a large π-conjugated structure for absorption structure and a high degree of delocalization. Nitrogen-sulfur derivatives have lone pairs of electrons in their N and S atoms, which makes them have a strong intramolecular charge transfer ability, which is conducive to the formation of donor-acceptor molecules. In this paper, phenothiazine is used as the matrix structure of the third-order nonlinear optical material, modified, and then metal coordination is performed to obtain [Zn(Py)2Cl2]n and [Cd(Py)2Cl2]n. Its structure is characterized by infrared spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction. The morphology of the material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The photophysical properties, thermal properties and third-order nonlinear properties were tested, and the theoretical verification was carried out with the DFT calculation method, and the relationship between the structure and the third-order nonlinear properties was summarized. The experimental results show that phenothiazine has good electron donating ability, the two-photon absorption coefficient β is between 1.334–38.400 × 10−10 m/W, and the third-order nonlinear polarizability χ(3) is between 2.752–79.247 × 10−11 esu, The second-order hyperpolarizability γ of the ligand molecule is 5.213 × 10−34 esu. The χ(3) values of [Zn(Py)2Cl2]n and [Cd(Py)2Cl2]n are 4 orders of magnitude higher than ordinary α-quartz (χ(3) = 2.6 × 10−14 esu).

Crystal growth and physico-chemical characterization of methyl ammonium chloride doping on the characteristics of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal for nonlinear optical applications

• The KDP and MACKDP single crystals were grown by the slow evaporation method. • The UV–Vis-NIR spectrums reveal that the title compounds can be used as nonlinear optical materials. • KDP and MACKDP crystal belong to the soft material category. • Third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ 3 ) was found to be 5.391 × 10 −8 esu and 5.412 × 10 −8 esu for KDP and MACKDP, respectively. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) and Methyl ammonium chloride doped KDP (MACKDP) were made into nonlinear optical single crystals using the ambient temperature slow evaporation method. An examination of powder X-ray diffraction reveals that the reflection lines of the doped KDP crystal are almost identical to those of the pure parent chemical KDP, with just a little difference in peak intensity. The space group and lattice parameters of the crystal structure were determined using XRD measurements on a single crystal. FTIR spectrum studies indicated the existence of numerous functional groups due to the shifting of peak positions. According to the results of UV–Vis-NIR testing, the UV cutoff wavelength for pure KDP is 381 nm and for methyl ammonium chloride doped potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal is 383 nm. Growing crystals have reduced permittivity and dielectric loss tangent at increasing frequencies and temperatures. There were 1.12 times more correlated second harmonic (SHG) powers in the doped crystal than there were in pure KDP, according to the Kurtz and Perry approach. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis were used to evaluate the thermal properties of an KDP doped MACKDP crystals. Vickers microhardness experiments have examined the impact of methyl ammonium chloride mixing on the hardness parameters of KDP crystal. The encouraging third-order nonlinear properties were examined employing a Z-scan technique using an Nd: YAG laser at 532 nm. To be considered a viable choice for nonlinear optical devices, the title material must exhibit a wide range of noteworthy physicochemical and optical nonlinear features.

Investigations on nucleation kinetics and dielectric behavior of potassium DL-malato borate hydrate (C8H10BKO11) single crystal

A single transparent crystal of potassium DL-malato borate was grown with the help of solvent evaporation technique. The lattice parameters, a = 11.3571 Å, b = 5.3225 Å, c = 21.2348 Å and α = β = γ = 90° with space group Pna21 of the grown crystal was confirmed by using the single crystal XRD analysis. The solubility of the compound was measured with the help of gravimetric analysis. The polythermal method was adopted for the determination of the metastable zone width. The solubility curve indicates that the material exhibited a positive temperature gradient of solubility. The induction period of the grown material was measured with the help of the isothermal method. It was found to decrease with increasing the supersaturation ratio and temperature. Various nucleation parameters were calculated with the help of the classical theory of nucleation, which was required for optimizing the growth condition for the growth of the good quality crystal. The low value of the dielectric loss and constant value for high applied frequency ensure the application of this material in device fabrication. The third-order nonlinear properties of the grown crystal were studied with the aid of the Z-scan technique.

Study on third-order optical nonlinear properties of transparent chalcogenide glass ceramics within Ge–S binary system

transparent chalcogenide glass ceramics (ChGCs) based on a binary germanium-sulfur (Ge–S, GS) chalcogenide system were synthesized by heat treatment method. Compared with the precursor glass, the GS ChGCs embedded with GeS2 nanocrystals have the same infrared transparency, but smaller optical bandgap energy and higher mechanical strength. Z-scan measurements show that third-order optical nonlinearity in the GS ChGCs was remarkably enhanced, and this material would be suitable for applications in optical limiting.

Third-order nonlinear properties and reverse absorption behavior in layered Ti3C2 MXene in the near infrared region

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) have attracted a lot of attention as optical materials owing to their unique electronic and optical features. In this paper, we demonstrated the nonlinear optical response of Ti3C2 MXene in the near infrared (NIR) regime at 1 and 1.3 µm. The nonlinear optical absorption behavior was systematically studied by the open/closed aperture (OA/CA) Z-scan techniques. Under a low excitation intensity, the saturable absorption dominated the optical nonlinear process, and the maximum effective nonlinear absorption coefficients βeff were −0.59 cm/MW and −0.68 cm/MW at 1 and 1.3 µm, respectively. The nonlinear refractive index n2 and the third-order susceptibility of Ti3C2 Mxene at 1 µm were −2.18 ×10−2 cm2/GW and 3.65×10−3 esu, respectively. While with the excitation laser at 1.3 µm, the nonlinear refractive index n2 was −1.64×10−2 cm2/GW and the third-order susceptibility was 2.75×10−3 esu. With the increase of incident optical intensity, the two-photon absorption (TPA) process was observed, leading to the reverse absorption phenomenon. Our results confirmed that Ti3C2 MXene possessed intensity-depended nonlinear optical properties, which could be applied in various nonlinear optical devices.

Synthesis and Third-Order Nonlinear Synergistic Effect of ZrO2/RGO Composites.

Tuning the third-order nonlinear properties of graphene by hybrid method is of great significance in nonlinear optics research. ZrO2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites with different ZrO2 concentrations were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure show that ZrO2 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of graphene nanosheets. The nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics of composites with different ZrO2 concentrations were studied by the Z-scan technique of 532 nm picosecond pulsed laser. The results showed that ZrO2/RGO composites had saturated absorption and positive nonlinear refraction characteristics. Meanwhile, the third-order nonlinear susceptibility of the ZrO2/RGO composite with a 4:1 mass ratio of ZrO2 to graphene oxide could reach 23.23 × 10−12 esu, which increased tenfold compared to RGO, and the nonlinear modulation depth reached 11.22%. Therefore, the NLO characteristics could be effectively adjusted by controlling the concentration of ZrO2, which lays a foundation for further research on the application of ZrO2/RGO composites in NLO devices.

Influence of polarization, multi-valences and multi-coordination of cobalt: Third-order nonlinear, dielectric and Faraday properties of Bi0.5Co1.5S3/high optical basicity glass

In this study, we have successfully grown Co doped Bi0.5Co1.5S3 nanocrystals inside heavy metal oxide diamagnetic 42PbO-48TeO2-10B2O3 glass whose morphology, structure and properties were characterized using various techniques. The optimum parameters for Bi0.5Co1.5S3 nanocrystals formation is 380°C for 10hours. Glasses having different amounts of Bi0.5Co1.5S3presented colors from light yellow to green and pure blue due to the different optical absorption of Co2+ ions in octahedral and tetrahedral coordination units. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed the formation of orthorhombic Bi2S3 nanocrystals in glass and Raman spectra demonstrated modification on structure such as TeO4 → TeO3 and BO → NBO conversion. The red shift in transmission cutoff edge of glasses showed experimental evidence of quantum confinement effect. Due to the high optical basicity system, X-ray photoelectron spectra studies confirmed the co-existence of Co2+, Co3+ and Co4+ which presented characteristic absorption in ultraviolet-visible spectra. The introduction of Bi0.5Co1.5S3 greatly increased the polarizability of glass, resulting in significant improvement on third-order nonlinearity, AC conductivity and dielectric constant. 1% Bi0.5Co1.5S3 doped glass presents giant Verdet constant of 62 rad/T.m at 633nm, promising nonlinear refractive index (5.662 × 10−11 esu) and large dielectric constant (78). This result proved that the synthesis of multivalence states of Co doped Bi2S3 in glass is an efficient method to improve the optical, dielectric and magneto optical performance of glass. Such dilute magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals-glass system has great potential applications in nonlinear, dielectric and magneto optical current sensors and isolators devices.

Crystal Structure, Topological and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis of a Zn(II) Zwitterionic Schiff Base Complex Exhibiting Nonlinear Optical (NLO) Properties Using Z-Scan Technique

A mononuclear Zn(II) complex of (Zn(H2L) (CH3OH) Cl2) (1) has been synthesized by using a nonlinear optically active Zwitterionic Schiff base which is 4-((2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) amino) benzoic acid (H2L). Complex 1 has been structurally analyzed by FTIR and UV spectroscopy, TGA, Powder-XRD and single crystal X-ray diffraction. X-Ray crystallographic studies revealed Zn(II) complex crystallizes in a P21/c space group and exists in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry (τ = 0.68). The topological analysis of complex 1 showed that the underlying net is characterized by an unknown topological type and point symbol {342.468.510}, and multilevel analysis of complex packing as dimer gives a 18-c uninodal net with unknown topological type and point symbol {348.499.56}. The calculation results of a Hirshfeld surface analysis have been investigated to explore the H-bonding within the crystal. Third-order non-linear properties were also studied, which revealed that the lower input power (5.0 mM) for the material shows full transparency; however, it becomes opaque for higher input power. Such limiting behavior of complex 1 suggests its potential for instrumental protective devices against high laser illuminations.

Modification of structure, electrical, linear and third-order nonlinear optical properties of spray pyrolyzed tin oxide films by deposition temperature

Highly transparent and conducting polycrystalline n-type SnO2 thin films with prominent peak corresponding to (1 1 0) plane was deposited using the simple spray pyrolysis technique. A systematic investigation was carried out in order to understand the influence of deposition temperature on the structure, surface morphology, composition, linear and third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, photoluminescence and electrical characteristic of the deposited films. The rise in the deposition temperature led to increase in crystallinity and transmittance of the films. The films deposited at 450 °C showed the highest crystallite size, lesser dislocation density and fibrous surface morphology. The films deposited at 450 °C showed the highest transmittance of around 90% in the visible region and a direct energy band gap of 3.9 eV. Increase in the deposition temperature also reduced the film resistivity and enhanced the carrier concentration. The film deposited at 450 °C possessed the maximum carrier concentration of 2.04 × 1020 cm−3 and minimum resistivity of 0.2483 Ω cm. It was also observed that the deposition temperature influenced on photoluminescent emission and the third-order nonlinear properties of the films. The photoluminescence spectra analysis of the deposited films indicated the existence of oxygen vacancies and other defects which led to nearly a white light emission. The film deposited at 450 °C showed a nonlinear absorption coefficient, nonlinear refractive index and susceptibility of 0.72 cm/W, 5.74 × 10−3 cm2/W and 7.29 × 10−3 esu, respectively. These films exhibited optical limiting behaviour and the obtained least limiting threshold was 1.1 kJ/cm2. The results clearly showed the applicability of spray pyrolyzed SnO2 thin films deposited at 450 °C in optoelectronic and nonlinear devices.