Three-photon Absorption Coefficient Research Articles

Three-photon and four-photon absorption in lithium niobate measured by the Z-scan technique

Open-aperture Z-scan measurements have been carried out to investigate the three-photon (3 PA) and four-photon absorption (4 PA) coefficients at 800 nm and 1030 nm wavelengths, respectively in congruent and stoichiometric lithium niobate (cLN, sLN) with different concentrations of Mg doping. The laser pulse duration at the two wavelengths were 40 and 190 fs. The peak intensity inside the crystals varied between approximately 110 and 550 GW/cm2. The 3 PA and 4 PA coefficients were evaluated using a theoretical model and the results suggest that their minima are at or around the Mg doping level corresponding to the threshold for suppressing photo-refraction for both cLN and sLN. This result can be attributed to the contribution of crystal defects to the 3 PA and 4 PA processes. Furthermore, the 4 PA at 1030 nm exhibited greater nonlinear absorption than the 3 PA at 800 nm under the same intensity level. Possible reasons for this unexpected behavior are discussed. Overall, comparing the 3 PA and 4 PA values of these crystals will enable for selection of the optimum composition of LN crystal for efficient THz generation and for other nonlinear optical processes requiring high pump intensities.

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of highly electron deficient, nonplanar push-pull porphyrins: β-nitro-hexa-substituted porphyrins bearing bromo, phenyl, and phenylethynyl groups.

β-Heptasubstituted porphyrins [MTPP(NO2)X6; M = 2H, NiII, CuII, and ZnII; X = Br, Ph, and PE] were synthesized and their third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties explored using the single-beam Z-scan technique with femtosecond, MHz pulses in the visible range. The three-photon absorption (γ), third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ3), three-photon absorption cross-section (σ3), and nonlinear refractive index (n2) have been determined from theoretical fits with experimental results. The sign and magnitude of the nonlinear refractive index (n2) have been obtained from the closed-aperture experiment while the three-photon absorption coefficient and three-photon absorption cross-section were determined from the open-aperture experiment. The magnitudes of the 3PA and σ3 extended in the range of (2.7-3.4) × 10-23 cm3 W-2 and (5.5-7.0) × 10-78 cm6 s2, respectively. The higher magnitude of the NLO coefficients ensures their utility in optical and photonic applications.

Strong Two and Three-Photon Absorption Coefficients of Gold-Doped Titanium Di-Oxide Nanoparticles Achieved by Femtosecond Z-Scan Technique

Strong Two and Three-Photon Absorption Coefficients of Gold-Doped Titanium Di-Oxide Nanoparticles Achieved by Femtosecond Z-Scan Technique

Nonlinear optical properties of methyl green investigated by the femtosecond Z-scan technique

The third-order optical nonlinearities of methyl green in aqueous solution are studied by the Z-scan technique using a femtosecond laser at 800 nm. The valley shape in the open aperture measurements reveals the presence of reverse saturable absorption effect, which is ascribed to the three-photon absorption process. The closed aperture Z-scan traces demonstrate a negative sign for the nonlinear refractive coefficient, indicating the self-defocusing optical nonlinearity. Furthermore, the magnitudes of the nonlinear refractive index n 2, the three-photon absorption coefficient α 3, and the real part of the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility Re χ (3) are determined and found to be linearly proportional to the dye concentration within the investigated range. Our results suggest that methyl green may be a hopeful candidate for applications in nonlinear optics.

Single- and two-photon absorption induced all-optical control of gallium selenide integrated silicon nitride photonic devices in the 700–800 nm wavelength range

In this work, we report single- and two-photon absorption (TPA) induced transmission and resonance modulation in a multilayer gallium selenide (GaSe) integrated silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguide and ring resonator operating in the 700–800 nm wavelength range. Intensity dependent saturable absorption at low optical powers followed by TPA at higher power levels in GaSe integrated Si3N4 waveguides is observed at 785 nm pulsed laser excitation. A TPA coefficient of 0.117 cm/GW for the GaSe–Si3N4 composite waveguide and a three-photon absorption coefficient of 7.876 × 10−6 cm3/GW2 for the bare Si3N4 waveguide are extracted from intensity dependent transmission measurements. The single-photon absorption process induced by a blue laser incident on the multilayer GaSe transferred on top of the Si3N4 ring resonator is used for all-optical resonance tuning through the free-carrier refraction effect. A strong blue shift of the resonance by ∼12.3 pm/mW combined with resonance broadening is observed due to the free-carrier induced refractive index and absorption modulation. The TPA in the GaSe integrated Si3N4 ring resonator is also shown to result in a blue shift of the resonances excited using a 785 nm pulsed laser. This work demonstrates the all-optical control of 2D material integrated Si3N4 guided-wave structures operating in the shorter near-infrared wavelength range with potential applications in integrated quantum photonics, miniaturized sensing devices, and biomedical imaging.

Metalated porphyrin-napthalimide based donor-acceptor systems with long-lived triplet states and effective three-photon absorption

• Excited state electron dynamics of novel Metalated porphyrins-napthalimide molecules was investigated by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS). • The rate constants of excited states are estimated using the global analysis of the obtained fs-TAS data. • Long-lived triplet state (lifetime ∼10 μ s for PN-Zn) formed via intersystem crossing. • Open aperture z-scan at non-resonant excitation of 800 nm revealed strong three-photon absorption by these molecules. • The experimental second hyperpolarizability was estimated to be ∼ 10 -31 esu and verified by DFT calculations. Porphyrin applications are primarily related to electronic transitions across a broad spectrum. In this context, understanding the excited state electron dynamics is necessary. Herein, we report the ultrafast photophysical characterization of one free base and three transition metallated porphyrin - napthalimide based donor - acceptor systems ( PN-Fb , PN-Ni , PN-Cu , and PN-Zn ) in dichloromethane (DCM) solution using transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) in the spectral range of 430-780 nm by the Soret band excitation at 400 nm. The different rate constants were extracted using a target model analysis of the collected transient absorption spectra and established a consistent photophysical model of molecular excited state population relaxations. The photophysical model consisted of the following various processes: (a) internal conversion in the range of 215-400 fs, (b) vibrational relaxation in the range of 1.35-62 ps, and (c) singlet state relaxation times in the range of 0.17-2.06 ns, and finally (d) 0.03-10 μs was attributed to the triplet state lifetimes. We have also measured the nonlinear optical properties of these molecules by the open and closed aperture Z-scan studies, which was carried out by 800 nm, 70 fs photoexcitation. The theoretical fittings to the experimental data resulted in an effective three-photon absorption coefficient and positive nonlinear refractive index. Further, from the Z-scan data, the second-order hyperpolarizability of the molecules was calculated, and the values were 10 - 31 esu. Additionally, complete optimization of individual structures and construction of these PN systems was achieved using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the obtained results were found to be consistent with the experimental observations.

Band-gap dependence of three-photon absorption in NiO nanoparticles synthesized at different calcination temperatures

The nonlinear optical properties of nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles were investigated using Z-scan technique with a fundamental nanosecond Nd:YAG laser. The nanoparticles were prepared using chemical precipitation method and its band-gap was varied by adopting different calcination temperature. We found an analytical result for the three-photon absorption coefficient inversely proportional to the band-gap based on the theory predicted from the wherret's equation for parabolic bands. The three-photon absorption coefficient and the extracted three-photon absorption cross-section were obtained to be 81.60 cm3/GW2 and 3.53 × 10-78 cm6 s2/photon2 at a calcination temperature of 400˚C.

The role of defects in the nonlinear optical absorption behavior of pristine and Co-doped V2O5 layered 2D nanostructures

V2O5 nanostructures doped with 1% Co have been successfully synthesized by simple hydrothermal method. Structural and morphological aspects, vibrational spectra and optical properties (linear and nonlinear) of pristine as well as Co-doped V2O5 (V2O5:Co) nanoparticles are investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that both V2O5 and Co doped V2O5 are stabilized in an orthorhombic structure. Energy band gaps measured using the Tauc plot give 2.24 eV for V2O5 and 2.16 eV for Co doped V2O5. When excited using 5 ns laser pulses at 532 nm in the open aperture Z-scan configuration, pristine as well as Co-doped V2O5 nanoparticles are found to show excellent nonlinear absorption, which arises from strong reverse saturable absorption occurring in the sample at this wavelength. The corresponding effective two-photon absorption coefficients are in the range of 10−11 to 10−12 m/W, and effective three-photon absorption coefficients are in the range of 10−22 to 10−23 m3/W2. When excited at the same wavelength using a continuous wave laser beam, the effective two-photon absorption coefficient gets enhanced to 10−6 m/W. These results confirm the suitability of V2O5 and Co-doped V2O5 nanoparticles for the fabrication of optical limiter devices for the protection of human eyes and sensitive optical detectors from hazardous laser radiation.

Three-photon absorption and Kerr nonlinearity in pristine and doped β-Ga2O3 single crystals

We report the spectral dependence of the three-photon absorption coefficient γ and third-order nonlinear refractive index n2 in pristine, Sn-doped and Fe-doped β-Ga2O3 crystals using 190 fs pulses in the range of 540–750 nm, i.e., photon energy between half and one-third of the bandgap Eg. The nonlinear coefficient n2 is found to be independent of Sn or Fe doping, and the maximum value of n2 is about 4 × 10−19 m2/W when the photon energy is near Eg/2. However, we observe that Fe doping can significantly enhance the γ value in the range of 540–600 nm (near Eg/2) while doping has negligible impact on γ for wavelength larger than 620 nm. Femtosecond pump-probe measurements show that Fe doping induced a fast (∼50 ps) carrier decay process after photo excitation, which could be attributed to the Fe induced deep trap states. We obtain three-photon figures of merit that allow operational intensities up to 100 GW/cm2. Our results indicate that β-Ga2O3 has great potential for all-optical switching applications in red and near IR regimes.

High-sensitivity measurements of the nonlinear absorption coefficient of wide bandgap oxide thin films with the Z-scan method

The nonlinear response of wide bandgap oxide thin films gradually emerges and attracts attention with the development of an ultra-short and ultra-intense laser. In Z-scan technique, due to the extremely lower nonlinear response of thin film compared with the common substrate, it isn’t easy to measure the multiphoton absorption coefficient of wide bandgap oxide thin films. In this study, a method is proposed to suppress the substrate impact and improve the thin film measurement sensitivity. To make the thin film nonlinear intensity dominate the total intensity, including unwanted substrate impact, material and thickness of the substrate are analyzed. Considering the nonlinear effects of different substrates and the adhesion between the substrate and the thin film, 50 μm MgF2 and quartz glass are selected as the substrate for deposition. The nonlinear intensity of substrate is suppressed to at least 80% of the whole element or can even be ignored so that the normalized transmittance of the thin film can be obtained effectively. The two-photon and three-photon absorption coefficients of HfO2, Al2O3, and SiO2 thin film are measured at different wavelengths. The nonlinear absorption response measurements of wide bandgap oxide thin films can advance the design and fabrication of low-loss photonic devices in ultra-fast lasers.

Nonlinear refraction and absorption of spectrally tuneable picosecond pulses in carbon disulfide

We analyze the spectral dependence of the nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficient of carbon disulfide (CS2) in the spectral range of 400–1100 nm using picosecond laser pulses. An increase of the nonlinear refractive index of CS2 at the shorter wavelength region compared with the near infrared region (9 × 10−14 cm2 W−1 (λ = 700 nm) and 4 × 10−14 cm2 W−1 (λ = 1000 nm), respectively) follows by a decrease of this parameter at the wavelengths below 600 nm. We compare the spectral dependences of the lower- and higher-order nonlinear absorption coefficients in carbon disulfide. The three-photon absorption coefficient was found to be maximal at λ = 1000 nm (β3PA = 2 × 10−19 cm3 W−2), while analyzing between 700 and 1100 nm. The maximal value of the two-photon absorption coefficient was determined at λ = 400 nm (1.8 × 10−9 cm W−1).

Nonlinear Absorption and Refraction of Highly Monodisperse and Luminescent ZnTe Quantum Dots and Their Self-Assembled Nanostructures: Implications for Optoelectronic Devices.

Zinc telluride (ZnTe) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by a unique supersaturation-controlled aqueous route. For a given pH, increasing the degree of initial supersaturation led to a decrease in the average diameter (davg) of the QDs and increased monodispersity. Three samples of ZnTe QDs having average sizes of 0.8, 1.7, and 2.2 nm were synthesized (hence named ZnTe_0.8, ZnTe_1.7, and ZnTe_2.2). Nonlinear absorption (NLA) and nonlinear refraction (NLR) of these colloidal ZnTe QDs of different sizes were investigated by the Z-scan technique using a continuous He–Ne laser (632.8 nm, 15 mW). Isotropic assembly of ZnTe_2.2 leads to the formation of nanoballs (hence named ZnTe_NB). The NLA profile of smaller QDs, ZnTe_1.7 and ZnTe_0.8, was found to follow a three-photon absorption (3PA) model, while relatively bigger QDs, ZnTe_2.2, followed a two-photon absorption (2PA) model. On moving from ZnTe_0.8 to ZnTe_1.7, the three-photon absorption coefficient (γ) decreases by 26% (3.00 × 10–4 → 2.21 × 10–4 cm3/MW2). The two-photon absorption coefficient (β) for ZnTe_2.2 is 0.3 cm/MW. For a 63% decrease in average diameter (2.2 → 0.8 nm), the refractive index (n2) increases by 45% (2.48 × 10–2 → 3.6 × 10–2 cm2/MW). Overall, the NLR coefficient shows a decreasing trend with size. Upon isotropic self-assembly, ZnTe_NB, there is a significant increase in the NLR coefficient by 40% (2.48 × 10–2 → 3.48 × 10–2 cm2/MW) and a simultaneous decrease in the NLA coefficient by 45% (0.3 → 0.166 cm/MW). The figure of merit was also determined for all of the samples, and it was found that ZnTe_2.2 and ZnTe_0.8 were best suited for all-optical device applications. Further, the self-assembled nanostructures are promising for making optical waveguides for supercontinuum generation (SCG).

Third- and fifth-order optical nonlinearity in PbO-BaO-Na2O-Nb2O5-SiO2 glass and glass-ceramic nanocomposite dielectrics

We investigate the optical nonlinearity in 6PbO–4BaO–20Na2O–40Nb2O5–30SiO2 glass and glass-ceramic containing ferroelectric Ba2NaNb5O15 nanocrystals and Pb2Nb2O7 nanocrystals using Z-scan method. The values of the third-order (n2) and fifth-order (n4) nonlinear refractive indices are quantitatively determined as 1.76 × 10−17 m2/W and −2.29 × 10−31 m4/W2 in glass phase, respectively, and 2.62 × 10−17 m2/W and −2.89 × 10−31 m4/W2 in glass-ceramic, respectively. The values of three-photon absorption coefficient of the glass and glass-ceramic are obtained as 8.60 × 10−27 m3/W2 and 1.22 × 10−26 m3/W2, respectively. The samples satisfy the criterion for all-optical switching and have potential applications for all-optical photonic devices.

Nonlinear optical characteristics of non-covalently functionalised graphene-pyrene-conjugated phthalocyanine hybrids

Improving the non-linear absorption properties of graphene materials is valuable for optical limiting applications. We report the non-linear optical characteristics of new hybrid materials formed by the non-covalent functionalisation of graphene nanoplatelets (GNs) with pyrene-conjugated Zn(II) phthalocyanines and pyrene-conjugated Zn(II) azaphthalocyanines. The GN–pyrene-conjugated Zn(II) phthalocyanine hybrid (GPc) shows a promising change from the two-photon absorption behaviour of GNs to three-photon absorption, the first such example in a graphene based hybrid system under nanosecond pulse excitation. Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopies are employed to describe the non-linear optical phenomena of the prepared hybrid materials. The GPc hybrid exhibits a low optical limiting threshold induced by three-photon absorption and a favourable linear transmittance (above 90%). The GN–pyrene-conjugated azaphthalocyanine hybrid (GAzaPc) also shows promising non-linear optical coefficients. A unique optical limiting performance (80% reduction in intensity) is achieved throughout the experimental range of excitation intensities. Our research offers a way to design hybrid material structures with a large effective three-photon absorption coefficient and nearly constant optical limitation across a wide intensity range with 92% linear transmittance, which would be highly useful in non-linear photonic applications.

Plasmon-enhanced ultrafast and tunable thermo-optic nonlinear optical properties of femtosecond laser ablated TiO2 and Silver-doped TiO2 nanoparticles

We report the results obtained from our extensive femtosecond (fs) nonlinear optical (NLO) studies of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silver (Ag) doped titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO2) nanoparticles. TiO2 as well as Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in deionized water using the techniques of fs laser ablation and simultaneous laser induced chemical reduction through irradiation, respectively. The broadband third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) behaviour of the synthesized NPs was investigated by employing the standard open and closed aperture Z-scan experiments with fs laser pulses delivered from an oscillator (~80 MHz repetition rate at wavelengths of 700 nm, 750 nm, 800 nm, 850 nm) and amplifier pulses (1 kHz repetition rate at wavelengths of 800 nm, 1000 nm, 1100 nm, 1200 nm). The corresponding NLO coefficients [two-photon absorption (2PA) coefficients of ~10-8 cm/W and three-photon absorption (3PA) coefficients of ~10-15 cm3/W2 with MHz excitation] were retrieved from the theoretical fits to the experimental Z-scan data. It was evident from the experimental observations that the Ag-TiO2 NPs demonstrated a significant tendency towards 3PA and also crucially higher nonlinear susceptibility [χ(3)] in comparison with the pure TiO2 NPs. In this extensive investigation, not only a remarkable correlation has been established regarding the incorporation of Ag into TiO2 matrix with thermal-optic influence (MHz interaction) but also the fundamental plasmon-enhanced nonlinear absorption (NLA) in the case of 1 kHz pulse excitation has been decisively recognized. The synthesized nanocomposites were scrupulously probed in the near-IR regime, unveiling the presence of a prominent 3PA (with retrieved coefficients of ~10-23 cm3/W2 using kHz excitation), an essentially rare observation in these kinds of NPs.

Anisotropy of 2PA, 3PA, and Kerr effect in nonpolar ZnO.

Anisotropic optical nonlinearity plays an important role in polarization-dependent optoelectronic devices. Taking the advantage of in-plane crystallographic axis, the polarization dependence of third- and fifth-order nonlinearity in nonpolar ZnO has been investigated by z scan. Here, we established the theory model of anisotropic relation of fifth-order nonlinearity in hexagonal wurtzite crystal. Both two-photon absorption (2PA) and three-photon absorption (3PA) coefficients exhibit anisotropic oscillations with a period of 180°, and the polarization modulation factor and anisotropy coefficient (rp,σ) are measured as (2.10, 1.84) for β2, and (1.66, 1.33) for β3, respectively. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that the anisotropy of the fifth-order optical nonlinear effect has been characterized and confirmed. It is verified that the self-defocusing effect at 500 nm is isotropy, while the self-focusing effect at 800 nm exhibits significant anisotropy. The maximum value of the nonlinear figure of merit is 5.84 along the [0010] crystalline direction, nearly 1.6 times the minimum value, revealing that ZnO exhibits potential for nonlinear applications containing polarization-related all-optical switching components.

Nonlinear optical properties of 6H-SiC and 4H-SiC in an extensive spectral range

Silicon carbide (SiC), which is the leading representative of the third-generation of semiconductors, possesses many excellent physical properties. However, its advantages also incur difficulties in processing, which calls for special processing techniques, such as femtosecond laser machining. In addition, SiC has shown unprecedented potential for optoelectronic applications. Knowledge of the nonlinear absorption coefficient and the nonlinear refractive index coefficient of SiC is required in both of the fields. In this work, the nonlinear absorption coefficient and the nonlinear refractive index coefficient of semi-insulating (SI) 6H-SiC and SI 4H-SiC, the most pervasive SiC polytypes, are measured in an extensive spectral range from 400 nm to 1000 nm with the Z-scan technique. Besides, the spectral dependence of the nonlinear optical properties is analyzed, facilitated by linear absorption spectrum. Especially, two-photon absorption (2PA) and three-photon absorption (3PA) coefficients of SI 6H-SiC and SI 4H-SiC are characterized in the respective spectral ranges. From the characterization of SiC, we can observe self-focusing phenomenon for nonlinear refraction. In the end, we unravel the potential of SiC for ultrafast all-optical switching based on the measured nonlinear optical properties.

Semiconducting ZnO＆WS2 heterojunction composite films: Fabrication, characterization and ultrafast nonlinear properties

In this work, a series of WS2, ZnO base films and ZnO&WS2 (ZnO@WS2 and WS2@ZnO) heterojunction composite films were synthesized by the single/two-step Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering. Interestingly, it is found that structure, morphology and growth mechanism of the samples depends on the regulation different experimental parameters. The result of morphology characterization demonstrated that the standing WS2 with different morphology depend on growth time and the multi-directional growth of the ZnO based film. And using the WS2 base films promoted the growth of ZnO sheet-like morphology. The result of X-ray diffraction characterization showed that the location and the shape of the characteristic peaks existed in the ZnO&WS2 heterojunction composite films are analogous to ZnO (002) and WS2 (002)/(101) alone. Furthermore, the ultrafast nonlinear optical behavior and dynamics of the samples were studied. The “W” and “M” type image of open-aperture Z-scan curve were analyzed. From the results, the samples showed multiphoton absorption induced the ground state or excited state saturated absorption or reverse saturated absorption behavior. And the two-photon absorption and three-photon absorption coefficients of ZnO@WS2 heterojunction composite films reached 1.93 × 10−9 m/W, −2.22 × 10−23 m3/W2, respectively. The bi-exponential decay of the positive signal assigned to the pump-induced deep-level or excited state absorption. Moreover, these findings indicate that the excitation wavelength increases and the detection wave band widen. The study shows that the carrier lifetime of ZnO@WS2 heterojunction composite films is significantly higher than that of the WS2 base films. ZnO&WS2 heterojunction composite films will be promising candidates in nonlinear optical material.

Processing of optical glasses by single, 34\xa0fs pulses in the strong field ionization domain: ablation characteristics and crater morphology

The material response of Borofloat, BK7, and B270 glass targets to 34 fs pulses of 800 nm central wavelength is analyzed in the 1–30 J/cm2 fluence domain. The contours of the craters change with the fluence very much the same for all three glasses up to approximately 20 J/cm2, above which the Borofloat and BK7 continue behaving similarly, while bump formation sets on for the B270 glass. Analyzing the contours single-shot ablation thresholds are determined by applying both the conventional diameter regression technique and a multiphoton absorption-based fit to depth data. The ablation threshold values are equal within the 6.1 ± 0.55 J/cm2 domain for the three glasses as well as the three-photon absorption coefficients, which lie in the same magnitude (10–25 cm3/W2). Above the ablation threshold, the diameter values follow logarithmic dependence in the fluence range investigated, reaching similar values around 45 µm at 30 J/cm2 with 51 ± 1 µm 1/e2 beam diameter on the target surface as derived from the diameter regression technique. The onset of plasma formation derived from the changes in the energy reflected from the processed surface is also found to be similar for the three glasses (9.5, 10, and 8.0 J/cm2) in good correlation with the ablation threshold values.

Large ultrafast nonlinear optical response and excellent optical limiting behaviour in pyrene-conjugated zinc(II) phthalocyanines at a near-infrared wavelength

The design and synthesis with full structural utilization of a new type of nonlinear photonic material, Zinc(II) phthalocyanine macrocycle (Pc-pyrene), bearing binary oriented (up/down) pyrene units is reported. The novel pyrene-based macrocycle has been successfully obtained in high yield upon coupling multiple azido pyrene derivatives on a previously fabri-cated alkynyl-substituted macrocyclic platform (Pc1) via multiple tandem Cu(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions. The ultrafast nonlinear optical characteristics of both Pc1 and Pc-pyrene have been investigated in solution using a near-infrared femtosecond pulsed laser. The femtosecond Z-scan results reveal a low optical limiting threshold and a good set of figures of merit that make these macrocycles feasible for optical limiting as well as switching applications. In a major breakthrough, ultrafast laser-induced deformations in Pc-pyrene-embedded PMMA films results in a very large enhancement of the three-photon absorption coefficient at 800 nm by up to ~105 times that of Pc solutions. Furthermore, the deformed Pc-pyrene PMMA films having the advantage of flexibility and possess an excellent optical limiting threshold (0.0018 J/cm2), much lower than various previously reported values, which enables them to be one of the best optical limiters.