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，迫切需要具有大品质因数(FOM)的透明材料。虽然有机分子一般表现出良好的光学非线性性质，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，但它们在制备和制备成各种形式的薄膜、光波导等方面存在困难。无机玻璃既具有优异的化学耐久性，又具有优异的工作性能。然而，它们用于光子应用的FOM相对较低。具有低熔点的玻璃，即所谓的低熔点玻璃，可以掺入各种功能有机分子。现有的低熔点玻璃通常含有铅或其他重金属阳离子，不利于环境保护。在本研究中，试图开发能够掺杂光学功能有机分子的新的低熔点玻璃家族。我们致力于光折变大的有机-无机混合玻璃的研制，利用激光直写技术在平面光波导中制备出了光折变系数大于10^~(-3)量级的硅酸盐相关材料。此外，还提出了一种通过非水酸碱反应制备的可掺杂各种活性中心的新型复合玻璃体系。然而，现在这些玻璃只是有机分子的持有者。具有有机分子和玻璃基质协同作用的新型材料有望在现有材料的基础上进行进一步的研究。

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.