Special Issue Ceramics Integration. Optical Nonlinear Crystalline Dot and Line Patterning in Samarium Bismuth Borate Glasses by YAG Laser Irradiation.

Abstract

New transparent surface crystallized glasses in the system of Sm2O3-Bi2O3-B2O3 have been successfully fabricated. The second harmonic generation (SHG) from the crystalline phase at the surface layers has been confirmed from Maker fringe measurements. The irradiation of CW YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm induces sharp refractive-index changes or crystalline dot formation, depending on Sm2O3 content in the glasses. In 10Sm2O3⋅30Bi2O3⋅60B2O3 glass, refractive-index changes (not crystallites) are induced by laser irradiations (power: 1W, time: 1-250 s), and spherical spots with 2-45μm are formed. In 12.5Sm2O3⋅30Bi2O3⋅57.5B2O3 glass, crystalline dots with the diameters of 5-65μm are formed by laser irradiations (power: 0.5-0.7W, times: 1-250s). It is found that the crystalline dots generate second harmonic waves. Refractive-index changes by YAG laser irradiations were confirmed in 10Dy2O3⋅30Bi2O3⋅60B2O3 glass, supporting the model proposed by Sato et al. New Sm2O3-Bi2O3-B2O3 glasses have a high potential as materials for “Ceramics Integration.”