The third-order nonlinear optical response of a novel phenoxazinium salt dissolved in acetonitrile was investigated using a modified time-resolved pump probe measurement with phase object at 532 nm with pico-second laser pulse. The experimental results clearly indicate that the observed nonlinear response should be of excited-state origin. The compound exhibits strong reverse saturable absorption and self-focusing effects plus long excited-state lifetimes. The nonlinear absorptive and refractive parameters of the phenoxazinium salt were evaluated by combination of picosecond pump probe measurements and nanosecond Z-Scan experiments. The experiment results demonstrate this compound is a promising nonlinear optical material. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.