Open AccessLaser-induced dynamic alignment and nonlinear-like optical transmission in liquid suspensions of 2D atomically thin nanomaterials
Author(s) -
Qiuhui Zhang,
Yanan Wang,
Feng Lin,
Yingjie Tang,
Peihong Cheng,
Xufeng Zhou,
Zhuan Zhu,
Yayao Ma,
Zhaoping Liu,
Dong Liu,
Laichen Liu,
Chengzhen Qin,
Zhongchen Chen,
Zhiming Wang,
Jiming Bao
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.440062
Subject(s) - materials science , birefringence , nanomaterials , graphene , laser , optics , optoelectronics , liquid crystal , anisotropy , nanotechnology , physics
Nonlinear optical property of atomically thin materials suspended in liquid has attracted a lot of attention recently due to the rapid development of liquid exfoliation methods. Here we report laser-induced dynamic orientational alignment and nonlinear-like optical response of the suspensions as a result of their intrinsic anisotropic properties and thermal convection of solvents. Graphene and graphene oxide suspensions are used as examples, and the transition to ordered states from initial optically isotropic suspensions is revealed by birefringence imaging. Computational fluid dynamics is performed to simulate the velocity evolution of convection flow and understand alignment-induced birefringence patterns. The optical transmission of these suspensions exhibits nonlinear-like saturable or reverse saturable absorptions in Z-scan measurements with both nanosecond and continuous-wave lasers. Our findings not only demonstrate a non-contact controlling of macroscopic orientation and collective optical properties of nanomaterial suspensions by laser but also pave the way for further explorations of optical properties and novel device applications of low-dimensional nanomaterials.