Abstract

For materials with cubic symmetry (for example zinc-blende semiconductors), nonlinear refraction (and nonlinear absorption) has a different polarization dependence to that m an isotropic medium, such as silica. In the case of the crystal classes 432, 43m and m3m a total of three coefficients are necessary to completely describe nonlinear refraction¹: $n_L^2$ [00l] relating the change in refractive index per unit irradiance lot linear polarization parallel to a crystal axis, the anisotropy parameter σ′ relating the variation in n₂, with crystal orientation, and δ′ relating the variation in n₂ between circular and linear polarizations.

© 1997 Optical Society of America