Supercontinuum Generation in 1-decanol

Abstract

Although solids have been recently used in ultrafast experiments for spectral broadening due to their relatively high nonlinearity, their sensitivity to damage limits their long-term stability. Liquids are a possible alternative to solids as a nonlinear medium because of their comparable nonlinearity and resistance to permanent damage. We generate a supercontinuum in 1-decanol that spans more than an octave from the visible to the near-infrared regime. We measure the nonlinear index of refraction of 1-decanol and find a significant $n_4$ contribution. This contribution leads to a nonlinearity comparable to CS$_2$ (a frequent reference for nonlinear optics) in high-intensity regimes while being significantly less volatile and toxic. We find this supercontinuum spectrum to be stable for at least 30 minutes.