Second-order nonlinear susceptibilities of various dielectric and semiconductor materials

An updated absolute scale of the second-order nonlinear susceptibilities of various dielectric and semiconductor materials is presented. It is based on our recent redetermination for several important nonlinear-optical materials and the earlier reliable values. The problems that were unresolved or overlooked in earlier measurements are pointed out, and the guidelines for obtaining accurate values of the nonlinear susceptibilities are presented through the detailed description of the measurement procedure applied in our determination.