Polarization dependence of Z-scan measurement: theory and experiment.

Here we report on an extension of common Z-scan method to arbitrary polarized incidence light for measurements of anisotropic third-order nonlinear susceptibility in isotropic medium. The normalized transmittance formulas of closed-aperture Z-scan are obtained for linearly, elliptically and circularly polarized incidence beam. The theoretical analysis is examined experimentally by studying third-order nonlinear susceptibility of CS2 liquid. Results show that the elliptically polarized light Z-scan method can be used to measure simultaneously the two third-order nonlinear susceptibility components chi(3)(xyyx) and chi(3)(xxyy). Furthermore, the elliptically polarized light Z-scan measurements of large nonlinear phase shift are also analyzed theoretically and experimentally.