Measurement of the refractive index of electrically poled soda-lime glass layers using leaky modes.

Abstract

Electrically poled layers have been formed in soda-lime glass using graphite electrodes in air. The refractive index and thickness of the poled glass layers have been measured by the analysis of leaky optical modes. These modes are supported by the poled layer and can be determined by analysis of the optical reflectivity measured with a prism coupler arrangement. A relatively constant refractive index of ∼1.486 in the poled glass region is measured, which is ∼0.03 below the substrate index. The reflectivity data shows that the transition between poled and unpoled glass is very sharp and is consistent with ion transport models. The thickness of the poled glass region is consistent with the removal of Na+ and K+ ions from the poled region. The index and depth data are confirmed by interferometric measurements. The tensile stress in the poled glass layer is also estimated from optical birefringence measurements and is estimated to be ∼0.3 GN/m2.