Hydrogen doping of silica by ion beam enhanced hydration

Abstract

Correlative H-depth profiles by means of the resonant nuclear reaction 1H(15N, αγ)12C and refractive index measurements have been performed on ion implanted vitreous silica (− 1 keV/amu lead ions) subjected to leaching with water at 100°C. Thermal 0 annealing experiments have been conducted both before and after water attack; they indicate that the ion-induced defects are very stable, as they are not completely annealed after heating at 900°C. Hydrogen is strongly trapped in the silica matrix, being only partially released by heating above 500°C. In addition, the refractive index which is enhanced by ion implantation is not significantly modified by post-implantation hydration; this feature argues for the stability with time in wet environments of the optical properties of ion beam processed optical fibers based on silica.