Photoinduced integrated optical devices in sulfide chalcogenide glasses

Abstract

Chalcogenide glasses are known to be optically highly transmitting in the 1-10 μm wavelength region and to have applications in both communication and mid-IR optical systems. Arsenic (S,Se)-based chalcogenide glasses also exhibit a wide variety of photostructural effects. Photostructural changes in amorphous chalcogenides are induced by exposing the material to near bandgap light. Such changes, among others, can be structural [1,2] (e.g. change in the density, photoexpansion) or optical [3] (e.g. photodarkening, refractive index change). Thin films of As-S-(Se) also exhibit photoinduced volume effects similar to those seen in bulk materials. This fact makes the application of the chalcogenide glass films to guided wave optical devices, very attractive. With suitable bandgap light exposure techniques, a variety of photoinduced integrated optical components can be patterned on thin films of chalcogenide glasses.