Photo-induced nonlinear optical properties of BiB3O6 glasses and composites containing BiB3O6 glass nanoparticles embedded in polymers

Abstract

BiB 3 O 6 (BIBO) single crystals show excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) properties and find numerous applications in SHG and OPO devices [1]. In general the optical properties of crystals can be modified by proper doping. Unfortunately BIBO cannot be doped to improve its optical properties due to formation of other phases when the level of doping ions in the melt, from which the crystal is grown, is too high [2]. On the other hand BIBO glass is relatively easy to obtain and can contain quite big amounts of dopants such as transition metal of rare earth ions. Noncentrosymmetry is not present in glasses, but it can be induced by use of external factors such as polarized illumination or acoustic field [3,4]. Doping with rare earth ions that could be polarized by external fields additionally improves NLO properties of such materials. Further improvement of NLO properties may be reached by fabrication of glass nanoparticles (NP) and formation of composites consisting of the NP embedded in polymer matrices. Their nonlinear optical properties may be operated by external laser light.