Nonlinear optical responses of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite nanostructures by time-resolved beam-deflection technique

We have investigated nonlinear refraction in all-inorganic halide perovskites, the CsPbBr$_3$ and CsPbBr$_{1.5}$I$_{1.5}$ nanosheet and quantum dot colloids in toluene, by a novel beam deflection technique using near-resonant continuous wave lasers. The nonlinear refraction and its time-evolution measured here have originated from thermal lensing effect. Nonlinear behaviour of heat transport in terms of intensity dependent thermal diffusion rate has been observed. Effects of convective heat flow have been measured at high intensities. Quantum dots have higher nonlinear refraction as compared to the corresponding nanosheet samples, presumably due to reduced dimensionality. The effective values of nonlinear refractive index, estimated here for near-resonant excitations, exceed those reported in the literature for organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites in the nonresonant excitation regime, by several orders of magnitude.