  Nonlinear optical and thermo-optical properties of two pure ionic liquids,
BMIOMe.NTf2 and BMIOMe.N(CN)2, were examined here. It was the first nonlinear
refractive index determination of a pristine ionic liquid by a standard
self-refraction experiment. The nonlinear optical characterizations were
performed using Z-scan and EZ-scan techniques in the thermally managed approach
with a mode-locked femtosecond laser source. Thermal properties were analyzed
concomitantly and the thermo-optical coefficient, thermal characteristic time,
and lens strength were characterized. These results show that BMIOMe.NTf2 is a
prominent material to be engineered for photonics applications
