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

在光通信和光子信息处理中，有源光子器件的实现迫切需要具有高品质因数的透明材料。虽然有机分子通常表现出优异的光学非线性性能，但它们的化学稳定性相对较低，无法用于实际应用。此外，有些无机单晶虽然具有足够的FOM，但难以制备成薄膜、波导等各种形式，而无机玻璃具有优异的化学稳定性和加工性能。然而，它们用于光子应用的FOM相对较低。具有低熔点温度的玻璃，即所谓的低熔点玻璃，可以掺杂各种功能有机分子。目前可用的低熔点玻璃通常含有铅或其它重金属阳离子，其不适合于环境保护。本研究试图开发一种新的具有光学功能有机分子掺杂的低熔点玻璃。我们致力于具有较大光折变变化的有机-无机杂化玻璃材料的研究，开发了具有超过10 ~#阶光折变变化的二氧化硅材料<-3>，并利用激光直写技术在平面波导中进行了微加工。此外，还提出了通过非水酸碱反应制备新型杂化玻璃体系，该体系可以掺杂多种活性中心。然而现在，玻璃只是一个有机分子的保持器。有机分子与玻璃基质协同作用的新材料是目前材料研究的重点。

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.