Abstract

We investigate the use of infrared femtosecond laser pulses to induce highly localized refractive-index changes in fused-silica glasses. We characterize the magnitude of the change as a function of exposure and measure index changes as large as $3\times {10}^{-3}$ and $5\times {10}^{-3}$ in pure fused silica and boron-doped silica, respectively. The potential of this technique for writing three-dimensional photonic structures in bulk glasses is demonstrated by the fabrication of a Y coupler within a sample of pure fused silica.

© 1999 Optical Society of America

Excimer-laser-induced densification in binary silica glasses

N. F. Borrelli, C. M. Smith, and D. C. Allan
Opt. Lett. 24(20) 1401-1403 (1999)

In situ observation of photoinduced refractive-index changes in filaments formed in glasses by femtosecond laser pulses

Kazuhiro Yamada, Wataru Watanabe, Tadamasa Toma, Kazuyoshi Itoh, and Junji Nishii
Opt. Lett. 26(1) 19-21 (2001)

Enhanced photosensitivity in germanosilicate fibers exposed to CO₂ laser radiation

G. Brambilla, V. Pruneri, L. Reekie, and D. N. Payne
Opt. Lett. 24(15) 1023-1025 (1999)

Structural changes in fused silica after exposure to focused femtosecond laser pulses

J. W. Chan, T. Huser, S. Risbud, and D. M. Krol
Opt. Lett. 26(21) 1726-1728 (2001)

Optical seizing and merging of voids in silica glass with infrared femtosecond laser pulses

Wataru Watanabe, Tadamasa Toma, Kazuhiro Yamada, Junji Nishii, Ken-ichi Hayashi, and Kazuyoshi Itoh
Opt. Lett. 25(22) 1669-1671 (2000)