Silver nanoclusters doped glasses tailored by direct laser writing (DLW) technique : Application in 3D waveguide and second harmonic generation (SHG)

Abstract

Glasses are of great importance on the development of optical devices owing to their relatively easy manipulation and their versatility to be obtained in different shapes and sizes. The combination of these properties with direct laser writing (DLW) technique could open the opportunities for future technological transfer to advanced industrial manufacturing such as 3D data storage and luminescent waveguides. During the first year of this postdoctoral project at the Institute of origin (IQ, UNESP), we demonstrated the fesiability of silver doped fluorophosphate glasses for waveguide inscription using Ti:Saphire laser at 800 nm. The obtained result indicates a positive change in the refractive index of the material, i.e., the refractive index is larger at the irradiated region than in its surroundness which allows light confinement. The main issue for the prepared waveguides is the higher optical loss compared to other waveguides written in other glass system. To address these problems and extend the applications of our glass system, we believe that optimization of the fabrication conditions including energy density and wavelength of laser writing will have a drastic impact on the performance these 3D waveguides and will pave the way for new generation of metamaterials and optical data storage. In this direction and during the 12 months research internship at Bordeaux University, significant efforts will be devoted to the development of a new type of waveguides within phosphate, borate and fluorophosphate glasses containing silver nanoclusters (Ag NC's) and nanoparticles (Ag NP's) using the advanced system for the development of waveguides more precisly a Yb:KGW laser emitting at 1030 nm. More important, the addressed project and targeted objectives aim at developing emerging photonics approaches to develop key enabling technology to achieve high-added value integrated components, compatible with technological transfer in industry. Thus, the project matches both ambitious breakthrough research in photonics, possible new integrated laser devices and thus subsequent high socio-economical impacts, which is directly related to the action of the Institute of chemestry of araraquara (IQ-UNESP).