Self-phase modulation has been observed for ultrashort pulses of wavelength 800nm propagating through a 1 cm-long Ta₂O₅ rib waveguide. The associated nonlinear refractive index n2 was estimated to be 7.23×10^-19 m²/W, which is higher than silica glass by more than one order of magnitude. Femtosecond time of flight measurements based on a Kerr shutter configuration show that the group velocity dispersion is small at a wavelength of 800 nm, confirming that dispersion may be neglected in the estimation of n₂ so that a simplified theory can be used with good accuracy.

© 2004 Optical Society of America

1. B. P. Nelson, K. J. Blow, P. D. Constantine, N. J. Doran, J. K. Lucek, I. W. Marshall, and K. Smith, �??Alloptical Gbit/s switching using nonlinear optical loop mirror,�?? Electron. Lett. 27, 704-705 (1991). [CrossRef]
2. A. Samoc, M. Samoc, M. Woodruff, and B. Luther-Davies, �??Tuning the properties of poly(pphenylenevinylene) for use in all-optical switching,�?? Opt. Lett. 20, 1241-1243 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. M. Asobe, I. Yokohama, T. Kaino, S. Tomaru, and T. Kurihara, �??Nonlinear absorption and refraction in an organic-dye functionalized main-chain polymer wave-guide in the 1.5 m wavelength region,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 891-893 (1995). [CrossRef]
4. T. Gabler, R. Waldhäusl, A. Bräuer, F. Michelotti, H. �??H. Hörhold, and U. Bartuch, "Spectral broadening measurements in poly(phenylene vinylene) polymer channel waveguides,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 928-930 (1997). [CrossRef]
5. M. Asobe, K. Suzuki, T. Kanamori, and K. Kubodera, �??Nonlinear refractive-index measurement in chalcogenide-glass fibers by self-phase modulation,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 1153-1154 (1992). [CrossRef]
6. T. Kobayashi, Nonlinear Optics of Organics and Semiconductors (Springer, Berlin, 1989). [CrossRef]
7. P. C. Joshi and M. W. Cole, �??Influence of postdeposition annealing on the enhanced structural and electrical properties of amorphous and crystalline Ta2O5 thin films for dynamic random access memory applications,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 86, 871-880 (1999). [CrossRef]
8. E. Franke, C. L. Trimble, M. J. DeVries, J. A. Woollam, M. Schubert, and F. Frost, �??Dielectric function of amorphous tantalum oxide from the far infrared to the deep ultraviolet spectral region measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 88, 5166-5174 (2000). [CrossRef]
9. J. Jasapara, A. V. V. Nampoothiri, and W. Rudolph, �??Femtosecond laser pulse induced breakdown in dielectric thin films,�?? Phys. Rev. B 63, 045117 (2001). [CrossRef]
10. G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear Fiber Optics, (Academic, San Diego, 1989).
11. P. N. Kean, K. Smith, and W. Sibbett, �??Spectral and temporal investigation of self-phase modulation and stimulated Raman scattering in a single-mode optical fibre,�?? IEE Proc. J. Optoelectron. 134, 163-170 (1987). [CrossRef]
12. B. M. Foley, P. Melman, and K. T. Vo, �??Novel loss measurement technique for optical wave-guides by imaging of scattered-light,�?? Electron. Lett. 28, 584-585 (1992). [CrossRef]
13. J. Requejo-Isidro, A. K. Mairaj, V. Pruneri, D. W. Hewak, M. C. Netti, and J. J. Baumberg, �??Self-refractive non-linearities in chalcogenide based glasses,�?? J. Non-Cryst. Solids 317, 241-246 (2003). [CrossRef]
14. M. Asobe, T. Kanamori, and K. Kubodera, �??Applications of highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass fibers in ultrafast all-optical switches,�?? IEEE J Quantum Electron. 29, 2325-2333 (1993). [CrossRef]
15. M, C. Netti, C. E. Finlayson, J. J. Baumberg, M. D. B. Charlton, M. E. Zoorob, J. S. Wilkinson and G. J. Parker, �??Separation of photonic crystal waveguides modes using femtosecond time-of-flight,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3927-3929 (2002). [CrossRef]
16. J. Takeda, K. Nakajima, and S. Kurita, �??Time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy by the optical Kerr-gate method applicable to ultrafast relaxation processes,�?? Phys. Rev. B 62, 10083-10087 (2000). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• M. Asobe, I. Yokohama, T. Kaino, S. Tomaru, and T. Kurihara, �??Nonlinear absorption and refraction in an organic-dye functionalized main-chain polymer wave-guide in the 1.5 m wavelength region,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 891-893 (1995). [CrossRef]
• T. Gabler, R. Waldhäusl, A. Bräuer, F. Michelotti, H. �??H. Hörhold, and U. Bartuch, "Spectral broadening measurements in poly(phenylene vinylene) polymer channel waveguides,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 928-930 (1997). [CrossRef]
• M. Asobe, K. Suzuki, T. Kanamori, and K. Kubodera, �??Nonlinear refractive-index measurement in chalcogenide-glass fibers by self-phase modulation,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 1153-1154 (1992). [CrossRef]
• M, C. Netti, C. E. Finlayson, J. J. Baumberg, M. D. B. Charlton, M. E. Zoorob, J. S. Wilkinson and G. J. Parker, �??Separation of photonic crystal waveguides modes using femtosecond time-of-flight,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3927-3929 (2002). [CrossRef]

Electron. Lett.

• B. P. Nelson, K. J. Blow, P. D. Constantine, N. J. Doran, J. K. Lucek, I. W. Marshall, and K. Smith, �??Alloptical Gbit/s switching using nonlinear optical loop mirror,�?? Electron. Lett. 27, 704-705 (1991). [CrossRef]
• B. M. Foley, P. Melman, and K. T. Vo, �??Novel loss measurement technique for optical wave-guides by imaging of scattered-light,�?? Electron. Lett. 28, 584-585 (1992). [CrossRef]

IEE Proc. J. Optoelectron.

• P. N. Kean, K. Smith, and W. Sibbett, �??Spectral and temporal investigation of self-phase modulation and stimulated Raman scattering in a single-mode optical fibre,�?? IEE Proc. J. Optoelectron. 134, 163-170 (1987). [CrossRef]

IEEE J Quantum Electron.

• M. Asobe, T. Kanamori, and K. Kubodera, �??Applications of highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass fibers in ultrafast all-optical switches,�?? IEEE J Quantum Electron. 29, 2325-2333 (1993). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• P. C. Joshi and M. W. Cole, �??Influence of postdeposition annealing on the enhanced structural and electrical properties of amorphous and crystalline Ta2O5 thin films for dynamic random access memory applications,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 86, 871-880 (1999). [CrossRef]
• E. Franke, C. L. Trimble, M. J. DeVries, J. A. Woollam, M. Schubert, and F. Frost, �??Dielectric function of amorphous tantalum oxide from the far infrared to the deep ultraviolet spectral region measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 88, 5166-5174 (2000). [CrossRef]

J. Non-Cryst. Solids.

• J. Requejo-Isidro, A. K. Mairaj, V. Pruneri, D. W. Hewak, M. C. Netti, and J. J. Baumberg, �??Self-refractive non-linearities in chalcogenide based glasses,�?? J. Non-Cryst. Solids 317, 241-246 (2003). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• A. Samoc, M. Samoc, M. Woodruff, and B. Luther-Davies, �??Tuning the properties of poly(pphenylenevinylene) for use in all-optical switching,�?? Opt. Lett. 20, 1241-1243 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• J. Takeda, K. Nakajima, and S. Kurita, �??Time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy by the optical Kerr-gate method applicable to ultrafast relaxation processes,�?? Phys. Rev. B 62, 10083-10087 (2000). [CrossRef]
• J. Jasapara, A. V. V. Nampoothiri, and W. Rudolph, �??Femtosecond laser pulse induced breakdown in dielectric thin films,�?? Phys. Rev. B 63, 045117 (2001). [CrossRef]

Other

• G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear Fiber Optics, (Academic, San Diego, 1989).
• T. Kobayashi, Nonlinear Optics of Organics and Semiconductors (Springer, Berlin, 1989). [CrossRef]

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