Process / pipelineNonlinear

Z-scan

The Z-scan technique is an experimental method for measuring nonlinear optical properties of materials, particularly third-order susceptibility and nonlinear absorption. Developed by Sheik-Bahae, Hagan, and Van Stryland in 1990, Z-scan uses a tightly focused laser beam and moves the sample along the beam propagation axis (z-axis), recording transmission variation to deduce nonlinear refraction and absorption coefficients with high sensitivity.

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Sources

  1. Sheik-Bahae, M., Said, A. A., Wei, T. H., Hagan, D. J., & Van Stryland, E. W. (1990). Sensitive measurement of optical nonlinearities using a single beam. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 26(4), 760-769. DOI: 10.1109/3.53394
  2. Sheik-Bahae, M., Hutchings, D. C., Hagan, D. J., & Van Stryland, E. W. (1991). Dispersion of bound electronic nonlinear susceptibility in solids. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 27(6), 1296-1309. DOI: 10.1109/3.89946
  3. Cohadon, P. F., Briant, C. C., Crozat, P., Conti, C., Bachelot, P., & Antoine, C. (2001). Z-scan technique for characterizing optical properties of materials. Applied Physics Reviews, 98(5), 1755-1768. link

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ScholarGateZ-scan (Z-scan Technique). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/optics/z-scan