The Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties in Cobalt-Doped ZnO Films

We quantitatively investigate the third-order optical nonlinear response of Co-doped ZnO thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering using the Z-scan method. The two-photon absorption and optical Kerr effect are revealed to contribute to the third-order nonlinear response of the Co-doped ZnO films. The nonlinear absorption coefficient beta is determined to be approximately 8.8 x 10(-5) cm/W and the third-order nonlinear susceptibility chi((3)) is 2.93 x 10(-6) esu. The defect-associated energy levels within the band gap are suggested to be responsible for the enhanced nonlinear response observed in Co-doped ZnO films.