Development of a Photorefractive Glass Processing and Characterization Facility

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9625964 Richardson This award provides support for the acquisition of equipment to develop a processing and characterization facility for photo- thermo-refractive glass (PTRG) materials. This facility is critical to the continued progress in the fabrication of new optical recording media for high efficiency volume holographic optical element applications based on glass-ceramic materials. Experimental results obtained at CREOL (Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers) during the past 18 months have confirmed for the first time in this country, the potential of an important new technology for recording and storing information through the selective nucleation and crystallization of photo- induced phases in a robust glass matrix. This glass material, however has to date been obtainable only in Russia. As a result of our experiments, the limitations of the Russian material and the importance of processing these materials within our laboratory, has been firmly realized. Establishment of this facility at CREOL will utilize our institute's strengths in both the design and characterization of photorefractive materials and our unique capabilities in the melting and characterization of new glasses for optical applications. CREOL contains one of the few academic research groups in the country specifically engineering and melting new glass compositions for optical applications. This award will enable the establishment of bulk glass processing capabilities and construction of an improved, reliable and accurate holographic element formation and characterization facility. The equipment includes furnace and optical finishing facilities to allow in-house melting and fabrication of glass starting materials, and an ultraviolet (UV) laser system which can efficiently irradiate the glass, forming the hologram, and subsequently characterize the quality of the resulting element. Once operational, irradiation/crystallization studies on in-house produced glass compo sitions, with accompanying analysis of material physical properties thermal, mechanical and optical will continue to be carried out. %%% Establishment of this Processing and Characterization facility will assist in the educational goals of our program at CREOL/UCF. CREOL has been instrumental in establishing Master's and Doctoral degree programs in Optical Sciences and Engineering at UCF. Over twenty courses in optics are taught by twenty five nationally- recognized CREOL faculty. The co-PI's oversee research programs containing a total of 5 students working on various, interdisciplinary topics related to optics. Currently, 2 undergraduate and 2 graduate students utilize limited (nonoxide) glass melting facilities. Acquisition of melting and fabrication equipment identified in this program will allow expansion of lab- based training in traditional glass processing at both graduate and undergraduate levels. A CREOL-funded Ph.D. student will be associated with the glass processing and optical characterization of the PTRG materials. ***