OPTICAL LIMITING STUDIES OF NEW CARBON NANOCOMPOSITES AND AMORPHOUS SixNy OR AMORPHOUS SiC COATED MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES

By using fluence-dependent transmission measurement with nanosecond laser pulses, we have studied optical limiting (OL) properties of new carbon nanocomposites as well as amorphous Si x N y or amorphous SiC coated carbon nanotubes suspended in distilled water. The observed nonlinearity at 532 nm contributed to OL performance of the carbon nanocomposites or carbon nanoballs (CNBs) is suggested to have its origin in the optically induced heating or scattering effects. It is found that when the linear transmittance of the CNBs is less than or equal to 70%, the intensity-dependent transmission of the CNBs is comparable to that of C 60. While at 80% linear transmittance, CNBs possess better OL behavior than that of C 60. These findings strongly support a potential application of CNBs for all laser protection devices. We have also observed OL effects in the amorphous silicon nitride ( a - Si x N y) and amorphous silicon carbide ( a - SiC ) coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) at wavelengths of 532 and 1064 nm, and found that their OL performances are slightly poorer than that of their parent MWNTs. The possible sources of thickness-dependent OL effects of a - Si x N y and a - SiC coated MWNTs are discussed.