Tuning the third-order nonlinear properties of graphene by hybrid method is of great significance in nonlinear optics research. ZrO2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites with different ZrO2 concentrations were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure show that ZrO2 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of graphene nanosheets. The nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics of composites with different ZrO2 concentrations were studied by the Z-scan technique of 532 nm picosecond pulsed laser. The results showed that ZrO2/RGO composites had saturated absorption and positive nonlinear refraction characteristics. Meanwhile, the third-order nonlinear susceptibility of the ZrO2/RGO composite with a 4:1 mass ratio of ZrO2 to graphene oxide could reach 23.23 × 10-12 esu, which increased tenfold compared to RGO, and the nonlinear modulation depth reached 11.22%. Therefore, the NLO characteristics could be effectively adjusted by controlling the concentration of ZrO2, which lays a foundation for further research on the application of ZrO2/RGO composites in NLO devices.
Keywords: Z-scan technique; ZrO2/RGO nanocomposites; third-order nonlinear optical property.