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Linear and nonlinear optical response of sulfur-deficient nanocrystallite WS2 thin films

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Abstract

Multilayered-to-bulk-like films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition at various argon gas deposition pressure where a significant amount of sulfur deficiency was observed. All films showed high atomic disorder and corresponding lattice distortion attributed to the large-scale sulfur deficiency. Instead of continuous film, huge sulfur deficiency created a mixed state of metallic tungsten and WS2 nanocrystals of sizes 4–8 nm throughout the films. The as-deposited WS2 films showed a dramatic shift in linear optical response, with the behavior resembling that of quantum dots. A significantly large reverse saturation absorption and positive nonlinear refraction response was observed in all the films, as measured by the open- and closed-aperture Z-scan experiment under He–Ne laser at 632.8 nm. In addition, third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility of the thin films was found to be of the order of 10−2 esu as measured from Z-scan experiment. The anomalously high nonlinear optical response of the film was attributed to the continuous-wave laser-induced thermal nonlinearity dominance over optical nonlinearity. Optical limiting was also observed in the films where optical limiting thresholds were found to increase with an increase in nonlinear absorption coefficient.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge CIF, IIT Guwahati for micro-Raman, FETEM, AFM, FESEM and spectroscopic ellipsometer facilities. The authors also acknowledge department of Physics, IIT Guwahati, for XRD and UV–Vis facilities.

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  1. Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India

    Gobinda Pradhan & Ashwini Kumar Sharma

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Correspondence to Ashwini Kumar Sharma.

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Pradhan, G., Sharma, A.K. Linear and nonlinear optical response of sulfur-deficient nanocrystallite WS2 thin films. J Mater Sci 54, 14809–14824 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03986-8

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