We have developed a new method of determining in time both the real an
d the imaginary parts of third-order nonlinear-optical coefficients. I
n this method the phase-conjugated four-wave-mixing signal beam interf
eres with one of the transmitted pump beams. By comparing the interfer
ence pattern with that of a known reference, we are able to determine
the real and the imaginary parts of the third-order optical nonlineari
ty for an unknown sample. The real and the imaginary parts can also be
separated when one incoming beam is delayed. We apply this method to
a bis-thienyl polyene molecule containing five conjugate double bonds
and find that the hyperpolarizability is gamma(mm) = (-2.5 - 0.17i) x
10(-30) esu. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America