ULTRAFAST OPTICAL KERR-EFFECT IN LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS

In the optical Kerr effect, the electric field of light incident on a transparent sample induces an anisotropic refractive index, which is m easured by its effect on the passage of a second light beam. The adven t of lasers powerful enough to generate a measurable effect, and which can be pulsed on femtosecond time scales, has made the optical Kerr e ffect into a practical technology for investigating the molecular stru cture and interactions of condensed systems such as pure liquids, liqu id solutions, and plastic crystals.