Observation of self-lensing in a 4BCMU-polydiacetylene thin-film waveguide

Abstract
Strong self-lensing effects have been observed when propagating 35 ps duration, 1.06µm wavelength pulses over 5–10mm distance through thin-film slab waveguides formed from 4BCMU-polydiacetylene. The results are consistent with a negative nonlinear refractive index coefficient (n2 of magnitude 1–2 × 10−13cm2W−1.