Precise and absolute measurements of the complex third-order optical susceptibility

We present precise and absolute measurements of full complex third-order optical susceptibility on different fused-silica and original glasses composed of tellurium, titanium, and niobium erbium. These materials are designed to be the key point for applications ranging from high-power laser systems to optoelectronics; their nonlinear index of refraction is a major property and thus must be accurately known. A large dispersion (more than 30%) of the nonlinear index of fused-silica glasses was found. Measurements on tellurium glasses have shown strong nonlinearities, to be linked to the configurations of their cations and anions.