Optical Limiting Properties of the Natural Dye Extract from Alternanthera brasiliana Leaves

Abstract

Optoelectronics is a research area with swift advancements, and it is accelerating with the development of a diverse range of materials. In this regard, the present article intends to investigate the extraction, film fabrication and third-order nonlinear optical studies of a natural dye extracted from Alternanthera brasiliana (A. brasiliana) leaves. The dye prepared by solvent extraction shows good linear absorption and an intense emission at 673 nm. The open-aperture Z-scan technique, employing 532-nm and 5-nm laser pulses, is used to investigate the nonlinear optical property of the dye in solution as well as in film form. Both the dye solution and dye-doped PVA films exhibit a reverse saturable absorption behavior, which leads to efficient optical limiting. This nonlinear absorption is attributed to strong excited state absorption occurring in the dye at the excitation wavelength. These low-cost, flexible and eco-friendly films are promising candidates for the fabrication of efficient optical devices for photonic applications.