Nonlinear refraction in vitreous humor.

We extend the application of the z-scan technique to determine the nonlinear refractive index (n(2)) for human and rabbit vitreous humor, water, and physiological saline. In these measurements there were nonlinear contributions to the measured signal from the aqueous samples and the quartz cell that held the sample. Measurements were made with 60-ps pulses at 532 nm. To our knowledge, this is the first measurement of the nonlinear refractive properties of biological material.