Visible laser self-focusing in hybrid glass planar waveguides

We report that self-focusing occurs with simultaneous self-inscription of a cylindrical waveguide when 514.5-nm light from a cw argon-ion laser propagates in a solgel-derived silica methacrylate hybrid glass planar waveguide. Spatially localized free-radical polymerization of methacrylate substituen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics letters 2002-08, Vol.27 (15), p.1342-1344
Main Authors: Saravanamuttu, Kalaichelvi, Andrews, Mark P
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We report that self-focusing occurs with simultaneous self-inscription of a cylindrical waveguide when 514.5-nm light from a cw argon-ion laser propagates in a solgel-derived silica methacrylate hybrid glass planar waveguide. Spatially localized free-radical polymerization of methacrylate substituents is initiated in the path of the guided wave. This causes intensity-dependent refractive-index changes that lead to self-lensing and focusing. A channel waveguide evolves in the matrix, which supports fundamental and higher-order optical modes and suppresses diffraction of the beam.
ISSN:0146-9592
1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/OL.27.001342