<title>Third and second order nonlinear optical properties of Ge-Se-S-As chalcogenide glasses</title>

Abstract

Chalcogenide glasses in the [Ge-Se-S-As] system have been synthesized and studied with respect to their nonlinear optical properties from third and second order. Z-scan and Mach Zehnder interferometry measurements of the nonlinear refractive index (n2) and nonlinear absorption ((beta) ) have been performed at 1064 nm. Some z-scan measurements have been also realized at 1430 nm. The results have been correlated to the structures of the glasses and the figure of merit has been calculated with the purpose of a potential utilization of these glasses in the realization of ultra- fast all-optical switches. Nonlinearities as high as 850 times the nonlinearity of silica glass have been obtained and some glasses exhibit at 1430 nm nonlinear optical characteristics suitable for telecommunication applications. The all-optical poling of a chalcohalogenide glass has been realized with a Q-switch mode-locked Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm emitting 45 ps pulses at a repetition rate of 10 Hz with frequency doubling at 532 nm. A nonlinear coefficient deff equals 2.8 10-17 m/V similar to that of the reference glass Schott SF 57 has been obtained. The thermal poling of a chalcogenide glass also has been realized and a transient second order nonlinear susceptibility (chi) (2) has been observed.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.