Use of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes for optical limiting

In this paper, we present some significative results concerning the use of both fullerenes and carbon nanotubes in optical limiting. We show in partic ular that the mechanisms involved are different for the two compounds. In t he case of fullerenes, fluorescence and transient absorption measurements d emonstrate that reverse saturable absorption is the dominant phenomenon, wh ereas for carbon nanotubes, optical limiting is due to non-linear scatterin g, through the formation of bubbles in the solvents and thermal effects ind ucing sublimation of nanotubes.