Z-scan and optical Kerr shutter studies of silver nanoparticles embedded bismuthate glasses

Abstract Bismuthate glass embedded with silver nanoparticles was synthesized by a single step melt-annealing method. Absorption spectra measurement confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles by their surface plasmon resonance absorption band that appears at 668 nm. Third-order nonlinear performance of the nanocomposite was evaluated in the aspects of space and time by Z-scan and optical Kerr shutter techniques respectively at near infrared region of 800 nm. The surface plasmon enhanced third-order nonlinear behaviors with Kerr response below 1 ps are observed, which demonstrate the potential of such material in applications of Kerr effect based switching devices.