Nonlinear absorption and refraction in phthalocyanine-doped polymers

Lead-tetrakis-4(cumylphenoxy)phthalocyanine (PbPc) is dispersed into several common optical polymers at various doping levels. The linear and nonlinear optical properties are measured at 600 nm near the region where the excited state and ground state absorption cross sections are nearly equal. The effective nonlinear refraction coefficients observed at high concentration are as much three orders of magnitude larger than that observed for fused silica.