Fast Fourier beam–propagation methods (BPM's) for simulating the roles of internal refractive effects and external propagation from nonlinear media are introduced. These techniques are applied to model picosecond Z-scan measurements for the induced absorber, the dye Chloro-Aluminum Phthalocyanine, at 532 nm. Within the thin-sample approximation an incident Gaussian beam is taken to experience a change in phase profile on propagation through the medium but remains of Gaussian amplitude profile. Outside this approximation one must determine both the phase and the amplitude profiles at the sample exit face that are due to the influence of nonlinear refraction (and nonlinear absorption) on the beam propagating through the medium. The BPM technique allows this to be achieved efficiently, and the external propagation technique enables a single discrete fast Fourier transform to be used to describe the subsequent external propagation of the non-Gaussian-shaped beams. The analysis is especially useful for such self-enhancing nonlinearities as one would wish to exploit in optical limiting.

© 1995 Optical Society of America

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