Nonlinear optical properties of detonation nanodiamond in the near infrared: Effects of concentration and size distribution

The present work investigates the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of detonation nanodiamond (DND), focusing on their optical power limiting efficiency in optronics. Among the relatively numerous types of tested nanomaterials, the nanocarbonaceous ones are particularly promising. Here, we show that stable colloidal DND hydrosols are very efficient at blocking high energy beams (1064 nm), with very good linear transmittances over the whole visible and near infrared (Vis-NIR) range at low fluencies. Through the use of ultracentrifugation we could demonstrate that the power limiting efficiency of DND hydrosols is directly linked to the polydispersity. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.