Active Glasses for Functional Devices

Abstract

In Parts 1 and 2, ultrafast induction of electronic structures and induction of permanent structure by ultrashort laser pulses were introduced. Three-dimensional optical waveguides were written and single-crystal-like structures were grown in glasses using a focused femtosecond laser. Various novel phenomena in rare-earth-ions-doped glasses were observed, including photostimulated luminescence, long-lasting phosphorescence and space-selective manipulation of valence state of rare-earth ions. Methods such as X-rayabsorption fine structure analysis and, microscopic Raman scattering spectroscopy were used to analyze the induced structures in glasses. Computer simulation was also performed for induced structures in glasses. In this chapter, the following functional devices using active glasses are introduced: microsphere lasers [269] , rare-earth-ion-doped glasses for UV and blue upconversion lasers [270] , semiconductor-microcrystal-doped films emitting electroluminescence [271], dye-doped polymers exhibiting SHG [272, 273], Faraday effect glass which can be used as a magneto-optical switch [152, 274], and long-period optical fiber gratings [275]. They vary in form from microsphere, film, bulk to fiber, and in any of the function devices, induced structure takes an important role in the realization of optical functions.