Abstract

Used extensively in optical fibers technology, the change in refractive index produced by ultraviolet light in photosenstive silicate glasses is still not fully understood. Ion implantation is the only technique able to make photosensitive pure silica waveguides by the introduction of bleachable color centers and compaction of the matrix. After 100 pulses of 100mJ/cm² of ArF bleaching, changes in the refractive index were found to be in good quantitative agreement with the changes in absorption of the bands induced by implantation between 5 and 8 eV. Index of refraction and absorption measurements of higher cumulative doses of ArF laser light as well as a Kramers-Kronig analysis are reported.

© 1997 Optical Society of America