Development of low-melting glasses containing organic molecules for photoinduced refractive index change

为了实现光通信和光子信息处理的有源光子器件，迫切需要具有大优值的透明材料。虽然有机分子普遍表现出优异的光学非线性性质，但在实际应用中其化学耐久性相对较低。此外，一些无机单晶表现出足够的FOM，但它们在制备和制造各种形式（如薄膜、波导等）方面存在困难。无机玻璃具有优良的化学耐久性和加工性。然而，它们在光子应用中的FOM相对较低。低熔点玻璃即所谓的低熔点玻璃可以掺杂各种功能有机分子。目前市面上的低熔玻璃通常含有铅或其他重金属阳离子，不适合环保。在目前的研究中，我们尝试开发一种新的低熔点玻璃，可以掺杂光学功能有机分子。我们致力于开发具有较大光折射率变化的有机-无机杂化玻璃。利用激光直写技术在平面波导中制备了光折射率变化超过10^<-3>阶的二氧化硅相关材料。此外，本文还提出了通过非水酸碱反应制备的新型杂化玻璃体系，该体系可以掺杂多种活性中心。然而现在，玻璃只是有机分子的载体。有机分子与玻璃基质协同作用的新材料有望在现有材料的基础上进一步研究。

Transparent materials with a large figure-of-merit(FOM) are strongly required to realize active photonic devices for the optical telecommunication and the photonic information processing. Although organic molecules generally show excellent optical nonlinear properties, their chemical durability is relatively low for the practical applications. In addition, some of inorganic single crystals exhibit enough FOM, but they have difficulty in preparation and fabrication into various forms such as thin film, waveguides, and so on. Inorganic glasses have excellent both the excellent chemical durability and workability. However, their FOM for photonic applications are relatively low. Glasses with low-melting temperatures so-called low melting glasses can be doped with various functional organic molecules. Low-melting glasses presently available usually contain lead or other heavy metal cations, which are unsuitable for environmental protection. In the present study, attempt has been made to develop new family of low-melting glasses capable of doping with optical functional organic molecules. We focused on the development of organic-inorganic hybrid glasses with a large photorefractive index change.Silica related materials with a photorefractive index change exceeding 10^<-3> order have been developed and micro fabricated in planer waveguide by laser direct writing technique. In addition, novel hybrid glass system prepared through non-aqueous acid-base reactions is proposed, which can be doped with various active centers. Now, however, the glasses are just a holder of organic molecules. New materials with synergetic effect of organic molecules and glass host is expected for the further research on the present materials.