Development of XUV lasers at the RAL Central Laser Facility

Recent progress in the development of XUV lasers by research teams using high-power and ultrashort-pulse Nd: glass and KrF laser facilities at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is reviewed. Injector-amplifier operation and prepulse enhanced output of the Ge XXIII collisional laser driven by a kilojoule glass laser, enhanced gain in CVI recombination with picosecond CPA drive pulses from a glass laser, and optical field ionization and XUV harmonic generation with a KrF CPA laser are described.     

Three-dimension direct writing TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystalline patterns in Bi-free glass using femtosecond laser

Crystalline TiO₂ was induced three dimensionally inside Bi-free glass sample by an 800 nm, 250-kHz femtosecond laser irradiation. Micro-Raman spectra analysis indicated that the laser-induced crystals in the focal point of the laser beam were monophase TiO₂ rutile. Continuous crystalline lines were written through moving the focal point of the laser beam inside the glass. The results demonstrate that this technique is a convenient method to engrave three-dimensional patterns of crystals for fabricating integrated optical devices in transparent materials.     

Na-doped optical Germanium bulk crystals

In an effort to develop a material for infrared (IR) optics with improved parameters, bulk crystals of optical germanium doped with Na have been first grown and studied. Single-crystalline and coarse-crystalline Ge:Na boules of different shapes and dimensions, up to 10 kg by weight, have been grown. Sodium was incorporated into the Ge crystal during the crystal growing from the melt. Despite the fact that Na contamination in the source material was not strictly controlled, the density of Na in the grown crystals determined by the neutron activation analysis as well as by the glow discharge mass spectrometry did not exceed 10¹⁵ cm^?3. Just this value may be supposed to be close to the solubility limit of Na incorporated in Ge in the course of bulk crystal growth. A first demonstration of donor behavior of Na in bulk Ge crystals is made by means of a thermoelectric type of testing. An interstitial location of Na impurity has been verified by experiments on donor drift in the dc electric field. The crystals are grown with free electron density in the range from 5?10¹³ to 4?10¹⁴ cm^?3 which is optimal for using Ge crystals as an optical material for fabricating passive elements of the IR technique. A comparison between the properties of Ge:Na crystals and Ge crystals doped with Sb, a conventional impurity in optical germanium, grown under the same technological conditions and from the same intrinsic Ge as a source material, revealed a number of advantages of Ge:Na crystals; among them, the higher transparency in the IR region, smaller radiation scattering and higher regular optical transmission, lower dislocation density, more uniform distribution of electrical and optical characteristics over the crystal volume, the identity of optical parameters in the single-crystalline, and coarse-crystalline boules. No degradation of optical elements fabricated from Ge:Na crystals was detected in the course of their commercial application, starting from 1998.     

Ge/SiO2纳米晶玻璃的制备及其荧光性质

以正锗酸乙酯和正硅酸乙酯为原料 ,合成了Ge/SiO2 纳米晶玻璃。探索了用溶胶凝胶法合成GeO2 /SiO2 玻璃 ,进而在高温 70 0℃下用氢气将其还原成Ge/SiO2 纳米晶玻璃的全过程。研究了Ge/SiO2 纳米晶玻璃的紫外吸收光谱、X射线衍射谱及荧光光谱。紫外吸收光谱显示由GeO2 /SiO2 玻璃向Ge/SiO2 纳米晶玻璃转变中有组成和结构的改变。X射线衍射谱明显显示有立方相Ge晶体颗粒在玻璃中析出。荧光光谱显示其具有荧光发射效应。根据其荧光发射峰值计算出Ge晶体颗粒平均大小为 3nm     

新型硫族化合物在中红外非线性光学晶体方面研究进展

利用红外非线性光学晶体材料对已有的成熟的激光光源进行频率转换是获得3~5μm和8~12μm"大气窗口"红外激光的主要方法。传统的红外非线性光学晶体存在缺陷,不能满足应用要求,需要探索新型的红外材料。综述了以硫族化合物为研究对象,寻找新型中红外非线性光学晶体材料的研究进展。介绍了Li MQ2(M=Ga,In;Q=S,Se,Te),BaGa4S7,BaGa4Se7,BaGa2MQ6(M=Si,Ge;Q=S,Se)及Li2In2MQ6(M=Si,Ge;Q=S,Se)的研究进展。     

Femtosecond laser direct writing of TiO2 crystalline patterns in glass

Crystalline TiO₂ was induced three dimensionally inside a glass sample by 800-nm, 250-kHz femtosecond laser irradiation. Micro-Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the laser-induced crystals were monophase TiO₂ rutile. A periodic structure consisting of TiO₂ rutile crystalline lines was inscribed in the glass sample by continuously moving the focal point of the laser beam. This technique may be useful for fabricating integrated optical devices in glasses.     

高激光损伤阈值Ge-As-S硫系玻璃光纤及中红外超连续谱产生

测量了Ge-As-S系列硫系玻璃在中红外波段的飞秒激光损伤阈值,研究了它与玻璃化学组成的关系.基于优化的玻璃组成,采用棒管法制备了芯径为15μm的阶跃折射率非线性光纤.采用飞秒脉冲抽运光纤,研究了光纤中超连续谱(supercontinuum,SC)的产生特性.在研究的Ge-As-S硫系玻璃中,具有化学计量配比的Ge0.25As0.1S0.65玻璃显示出最高的激光损伤阈值.以该玻璃作为纤芯材料、以与其相匹配的Ge0.26As0.08S0.66玻璃作为包层材料制备的光纤的数值孔径约为0.24,背景损耗<2 dB/m.采用4.8μm的飞秒激光抽运长度为10 cm的光纤,获得了覆盖2.5-7.5μm的SC.这些结果表明,Ge-As-S硫系玻璃光纤是一种有潜力的中红外高亮度宽带SC产生的非线性介质.     

大功率CO2激光器窗口及减反射膜

描述了评价窗口材料的标准,并对Ge,GaAs,ZnSe和KCl四种材料作了比较,发现KCl具有最佳的光学特性,并设计制备了性能优良的减反射膜,测量了它们的吸收和激光损伤阈值.     

纳米锗颗粒镶嵌薄膜的吸收光谱研究

用离子束溅射技术和热处理方法，制备出颗粒尺寸和镶嵌密度均可控制的高质量Ｇｅ－ＳｉＯ２纳米颗粒镶嵌薄膜，在室温下测量了不同粒度纳米锗颗粒镶嵌薄膜样品的吸收光谱，观测到在可见光区有较强的光吸收和吸收带边蓝移。研究表明：镶嵌在经缘介质薄膜中的纳米锗颗粒的能量带是量子化的，随着纳米锗粒子平均尺寸的减小，其吸收带隙增加，吸收带边蓝移的程序相应增大。     

Formation of periodic structures by the space-selective precipitation of Ge nanoparticles in channel waveguides

Thermally stabilized channel waveguides with Bragg gratings were fabricated by the space-selective precipitation technique of crystalline Ge nanoparticles using KrF excimer laser irradiation. The periodic structures consisting of Ge nanoparticles were formed in Ge-B-SiO₂ thin glass films after exposure to an interference pattern of the laser followed by annealing at 600 °C. The channel waveguides with the periodic structures were fabricated by the cladding of the patterned Cr layers on the films. The diffraction peak for the TE-like mode of 11.8 dB depth was observed clearly at a wavelength of 1526.4 nm, indicating that the periodic structure also served as the optical band-pass filter in optical communication wavelength. The spectral shape, diffraction efficiency, and diffraction wavelength remained unchanged even after annealing at 400 °C. Furthermore, a low temperature dependence of the diffraction wavelength - as low as 8.1 pm/°C - was achieved. The diffraction efficiency was further enhanced after subsequent annealing at 600 °C. The space-selective precipitation technique is expected to be useful for the fabrication of highly reliable optical filters or durable sensing devices operating at high temperature.     

Space-selective growth of frequency-conversion crystals in glasses with ultrashort infrared laser pulses

We report on space-selective growth of a second-harmonic-generation beta-BaB(2)O(4) (BBO) crystal inside a BaO-Al(2)O(3)-B(2)O(3) glass sample at the focal point of an 800-nm femtosecond laser beam. A spherical heated region was formed during the focused laser irradiation through observation with an optical microscope. We moved the heated region by changing the position of the focal point of the laser beam relative to the glass sample. We grew BBO crystal continuously in the glass sample by adjusting the moving speed of the heated zone. Our results demonstrate that functional crystals can be formed three dimensionally in glasses by use of a nonresonant ultrashort pulsed laser.     

Ultraviolet radiation- and γ radiation-induced color centers in germanium-doped silica glass and fibers

Induced optical losses and paramagnetic Ge(n) centers were investigated in germanium-doped silica glass and optical fibers after γ and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. It was found that both types of irradiation created similar effects. By means of selective UV irradiation, Ge (1 and 3) centers were identified in optical absorption spectra, presumably as induced bands centered at 4.4 eV and 6.2 eV, respectively. Moreover, photobleaching of Ge(1) centers took place under 266-nm wavelength excitation. In optical fibers no difference was observed between γ- and UV-induced loss spectra in the wavelength range from 480 nm to 1,900 nm. Partial reversibility of the photocoloration was observed. For comparison, the coloration effects were studied in glass prepared by means of modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) vapor-phase axial deposition (VAD), and plasma-activated chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) techniques.     

IR operated novel Ag0.98Cu0.02GaGe3Se8 single crystals

In this work, we report on the structural and optical properties of novel Ag_0.98Cu_0.02GaGe₃Se₈ single crystals that were synthesized by the Bridgman–Stockbarger technique. We have performed illumination by 10.6 μm CO₂ pulsed laser working in the microsecond time duration regime. Such illumination allows causing substantial changes for both pure electronic nonlinear optical effects like optical second harmonic generation as well as piezooptical effects described by the fourth rank tensors. The measurements of the piezo-optical effects were carried out at different temperatures. The effects are observed only during the IR CO₂ laser illumination and are disappeared after switching off the illumination. Simultaneously the IR induced optical second harmonic generation at Er:glass laser fundamental wavelength 1540 nm was performed during illumination by nanosecond Nd:YAG and Er³⁺:glass laser. The observed effects allow to use the studied materials as promising for IR-optoelectronic devices.     

掺纳米锗氧化硅的发光性能研究

由溶胶/凝胶法制备得到的GeO₂/SiO₂玻璃在700 ℃的条件下经H₂还原,得到具有奇特光致发光性质的Ge/SiO₂玻璃,该玻璃在室温条件下用246 nm（5.01 eV）的光激发时,能发射出很强的 392 nm（3.12 eV）、较强的 600 nm（2.05 eV）和次强的770 nm（1.60 eV） 的荧光.利用X射线衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）及透射电镜（TEM）实验证明,该玻璃能够发射3种不 关键词： 2')" href="#">Ge/SiO₂ Ge纳米晶粒 溶胶/凝胶法 光致发光     

Optical and nonlinear optical characteristics of the Ge and GaAs nanoparticle suspensions prepared by laser ablation

The laser ablation of Ge and GaAs targets placed in water and ethanol was carried out using the fundamental radiation of nanosecond Nd:YLF laser. The results of preparation and the optical and nonlinear optical characterization of the Ge and GaAs nanoparticle suspensions are presented. The considerable shift of the band gap energy of the nanoparticles compared to the bulk semiconductors was observed. The distribution of nanoparticle sizes was estimated in the range of 1.5-10 nm on the basis of the TEM and spectral measurements. The nonlinear refractive indices and nonlinear absorption coefficients of Ge and GaAs nanoparticles were defined by the z-scan technique using second harmonic radiation of picosecond Nd:YAG laser (λ = 532 nm).     

Amplitudes and shapes of fabry-perot resonances in laser interference thermometry of semiconductors and dielectrics

The possibilities of the most sensitive method of laser thermometry of transparent and semitransparent plates have been determined for the varying optical properties of the surface and the conditions of the surface probing. The contrast of light interference in the plates was studied as a function of the diameter of the probing laser beam, the angle of the light incidence onto the surface and its roughness, and the presence of antireflecting and reflecting films on the surface. It is established that the contrast also depends on the transverse temperature gradient in the plate. The measurements were made on silicon single crystals and the optical K-8 glass.     

Structure and optical properties of GeGaS films deposited by thermal evaporation

Amorphous GeGaS thin films have been successfully deposited onto glass slides at room temperature by the thermal evaporation technique. The structural units of the films were studied using Raman spectroscopy. In addition to the basic structural units of GeS₄ tetrahedra, there are some SS and GeGe homopolar bonds which exist in the films. The increase in Ge atoms leads to the replacement of SS bonds by GeGe bonds, and the isolated Ge(Ga)S₄ tetrahedra units transform into corner-sharing or edge-sharing Ge(Ga)S₄ tetrahedra units in the films. The refractive index and optical band gap were derived from transmission spectra of films. The values of optical band gap decrease while the refractive indices increase with increasing Ge content. Composition dependence of optical band gap and refractive index has also been interpreted in terms of the variation in the structure of films based on Raman spectra.     

碳化硼薄膜的激光法制备及性能

采用KrF准分子激光器,在Si,Ge光学衬底上制备了碳化硼薄膜,研究了不同激光能量、靶材与衬底距离、衬底负偏压等条件对薄膜性能的影响。利用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪（FT-IR）和纳米压痕仪,并依据光学薄膜测试的通用标准,对样品的光学透过率、纳米硬度及膜层与衬底的结合性能进行了测试。结果表明:Si,Ge衬底单面镀碳化硼薄膜后最高透过率提高10%以上,纳米硬度提高到未镀膜的3倍以上,且膜层与衬底有较好的结合性能,表明制备的碳化硼薄膜可对光学材料起到较好的增透保护作用。     

Demonstration of high efficiency third harmonic conversion of high power Nd-glass laser radiation

We report on efficient conversion from 1.054 μm to 0.35 μm by third harmonic generation in two Type II KDP crystals. Energy conversion efficiencies of up to 80% have been measured under conditions applicable to large glass laser systems. A new tripling scheme used for these experiments requires a minimum of optical components and is insensitive to exact crystal alignment and laser beam divergence. A convenient scaling law allows tripling optimization for many different laser conditions.     

On the properties and stability of thermally evaporated Ge–As–Se thin films

Thin films of Ge–As–Se chalcogenide glasses have been deposited by thermal evaporation from bulk material and submitted to thermal treatments. The linear refractive index and optical band-gap for as-deposited and annealed films have been analyzed as function of the deposition parameters, chemical composition and mean coordination number (MCN). The chemical composition of the films was found to be directly affected by deposition rate, with low rates producing films with elevated Ge and reduced As content, whilst at high rates the Ge content was generally reduced and As levels increased compared with the bulk starting material. As a result films with close to the same stoichiometry as the bulk glass could be obtained by choosing appropriate deposition conditions. As-deposited films with MCN in between 2.44 and 2.55 showed refractive indices and optical band-gaps very close to those of the bulk glass whereas outside this range the film indices were higher and the optical gaps lower than those of the bulk glass. Upon annealing at close to their glass transition temperature, high MCN films evolved such that their indices and band-gaps approached the bulk glass values whereas at low MCN films resulted in no changes to the film properties.