Concentration dependence of two-photon absorption in PMMA polymeric films doped with rhodamine laser dyes

We have studied poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films doped with rhodamine 6G and rhodamine B laser dyes as potential nonlinear material components for nanophotonics. For both dyes, the optimal concentrations, at which the emission excited via the two-photon-absorption (TPA) process is maximized, have been determined. Despite relatively large values of TPA cross sections obtained in this study, the characteristic pumping densities needed to observe pronounced nonlinear effects substantially exceed the laser damage threshold for Au or alternative plasmonic materials. This makes the studied laser dyes unsuitable for some of the intended nanophotonics applications.