Third-order optical nonlinear properties of amorphous Si/SiO2 superlattices fabricated by magnetron sputtering

The nonlinear optical response of amorphous Si/SiO2 superlattices fabricate d by magnetron sputtering are studied using the Z-scan technique. The real and imaginary parts of the third-order optical nonlinearity chi((3)) have b een measured at 532 nm and found to be 6.392 X 10(-7) esu and -9.814 X 10(- 7) esu, respectively. The results indicate an enhancement over crystalline silicon and porous silicon, which may be attractive for potential applicati on in electro-optic devices. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.