Abstract

Transparent surface crystallized glasses in the rare-earth doped bismuth borate system have been successfully fabricated. The irradiation of CW YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064nm induces sharp refractive-index changes or crystalline dot formation, depending on Sm₂O₃ content in the glasses. In 10Sm₂O₃-30Bi₂O₃-60B₂O₃ glass, refractive-index changes (not crystallites) are induced by laser irradiations (power: 1W, time: 1-250s), and spherical spots with 2–45µm are formed. In 12.5Sm₂O₃-30Bi₂O₃-57.5B₂O₃ glass, crystalline dots with the diameters of 5–65µm are formed by laser irradiations (power:0.5-0.7W, times:1-250s). It is found that the crystalline dots generate second harmonic waves. Refractive-index changes by YAG laser irradiations are confirmed in 10Dy₂O₃-30Bi₂O₃-60B₂O₃ glass. In 10Sm₂O₃-35Bi₂O₃-55B₂O₃ glasses, 2-dimentional crystalline line patterns can be fabricated by scanning laser spots with the speeds of 1–10 µm·s⁻¹. These crystalline lines have wave-guide structure with second order optical non linearity.

© 2002 Optical Society of America