Waveguide fabrication in fused silica using tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses

Abstract

Refractive index changes have been induced inside bulk fused silica by using femtosecond (fs) laser pulses tightly focused inside the material. Waveguides have been fabricated inside the glass by scanning the glass with respect to the focal point of the laser beam. The refractive index change is estimated to be ~ 10^-4. Other more complex three-dimensional structures have also been fabricated (curved waveguides, splitters, and interferometers). We also report on fluorescence spectroscopy of the fs-modified fused silica using a confocal microscopy setup. Using a 488 nm excitation source, a fluorescence at 630 nm is observed from the modified glass, which is attributed to the presence of non-bridging oxygen hole center (NBOHC) defects created by the fs pulses. The fluorescence decays with prolonged exposure to the 488 nm light, indicating that the defects are being photobleached by the excitation light.