Nonlinear optical absorption and refraction in Ru, Pd, and Au nanoparticle suspensions

We present the results of studies of the nonlinear optical properties of Pd, Ru, and Au nanoparticles. We studied the nonlinear refraction and nonlinear absorption of suspensions of these nanoparticles at 1064-nm wavelength. A relatively strong nonlinear absorption of the Pd nanoparticles was observed in the case of 1064-nm, 50-ps pulses (beta=2x10(-9) m W-1). The Ru and Pd nanoparticles showed weak negative nonlinear refraction (gamma similar to a'(6-8)x10(-16) m(2) W-1) in this spectral range. In the case of the Au nanoparticles, a saturated absorption at 532 nm dominated over other nonlinear optical processes.