Laser stimulated second and third harmonic optical effects in F: SnO₂ nanostructures grown via chemical synthetic route

Laser stimulated second and third harmonic generation effects in Fluorine doped tin oxide (F:SnO₂) nanostructures versus the fluorine content is presented. The F:SnO₂ nanostructures have been fabricated at various fluorine doping concentrations by spray pyrolysis technique. The films exhibit polycrystalline nature with a preferential growth orientation along (1 1 0) diffraction plane as evident from x-ray diffraction studies. The optical transmittance of the F:SnO₂ films has increased from 68% to 80%. Photoluminescence studies revealed that strong violet emission peak corresponds to ∼400 nm and relatively weak red emission peak at about ∼675 nm was observed for all the F:SnO₂ films. Increase in theβ_eff value upon fluorine incorporation supports the applicability of the deposited films in passive optical limiting applications. The principal origin of second harmonic generation signals (SHG) for this type of nanostructures is played by the space charge density acentricity due to the F doping. The enhanced second and third harmonic generation signals observed on F:SnO₂ nanostructures endorses the credibility of these materials in various nonlinear optical trigger device applications.