Dispersion measurements of water with spectral interferometry

Abstract

We measure the second- and third-order dispersion coefficients, d2k兾d?2 and d3k兾d?3, of water for wavelengths from 0.45 to 1.3 ?m using a Michelson white-light interferometer. In this interval, the second-order dispersion ranges from 0.068 to ⫺0.1 fs2兾?m, and the third-order dispersion ranges from 0.048 to 1.18 fs3兾?m. We observe an oscillation in d2k兾d?2 near 1.1 ?m that is due to water absorption features near that wavelength. From the dispersion coefficients, derivatives ofthe index ofrefraction of water are calculated and compared with available equations. These measured values of d2n兾d?2 and d3n兾d?3 should be useful in the evaluation and improvement of existing equations for n共?兲 in water