Abstract

The non-linear optical properties of semiconductor-doped glass with high semiconductor concentration has been investigated and compared to the optical properties of commercially available color filters(1, 2). We measured the third order nonlinear susceptibility of this new material by observing four wave mixing. We also identify and measure in this glass the onset of competing higher order nonlinear processes, such as six wave mixing. The optical characteristics of all the semiconductor doped glasses are determined by the microcrystals embedded in the glass matrix. The linear and non-linear optical constants of the material can thus be controlled by the proper choice and concentration of the semiconductor dopants, and the size of the microcrystals. Therefore the synthesis of glasses with high concentration of semiconductor microcrystals is important, since this is expected to produce higher optical nonlinearities. The semiconductor concentration is limited by its solubility in the glass. By using a fluorine-phosphate glass matrix(3) we were able to increase this concentration over that of silicate glass color filters, by more than an order of magnitude.

© 1996 Optical Society of America