Nonlinear Integrated Optical Waveguides in Chalcogenide Glasses

This paper reports on the study and measurement of the third order optical nonlinearity in bulk sulfide-based chalcogenide glasses; The fabrication process of the ultrafast laser deposited As-S-(Se)-based chalcogenide films and optical waveguides using two techniques: wet chemistry etching and plasma etching.     

Concentration dependence of radiation-induced changes in the optical properties of Ge<Subscript>x</Subscript>As<Subscript>40−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>S<Subscript>60</Subscript> films

Radiation-induced changes in the optical properties of chalcogenide glasses in the Ge-As-S system are investigated as a function of the concentration. Theoretical calculations are performed with due regard for possible constraints on the range of variation in the number of homobonds and heterobonds upon their switching in the structural network of chalcogenide glasses. The experimental data are obtained upon irradiation of Ge_xAs_40?xS₆₀ thin films with fast electrons (6 MeV). The possible mechanism of structural transformations responsible for the specific features in the concentration dependence of the change in the band gap of chalcogenide glasses is discussed.     

On RF magnetron-sputtering preparation of Ag–Sb–S thin films

One important application area of chalcogenide materials is rewritable optical data storage. This technology is based on a reversible phase transition between the crystalline and the amorphous state and vice versa. Currently dominant materials for rewritable optical recording are Ge–Sb–Te and Ag–In–Sb–Te alloys. Material research still continues due to the need for increasing storage capacity and data rates. Polycrystalline bulks of AgSbS₂ were prepared by melt-quench technique. Composition and homogeneity of these bulks were checked by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), crystallinity was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Targets for RF magnetron sputtering were prepared from pulverized bulks by hot-pressing technique. Targets were characterized the same way as bulks. Thin Ag–Sb–S films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering as potential candidates for rewritable optical data storage films. Composition and homogeneity of prepared thin films were characterized by SEM-EDX, Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA); character (amorphous/crystalline) was traced by XRD. Optical properties (spectral dependence of refractive index) were evaluated on the basis of UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy and variable angle spectral ellipsometry (VASE). Crystallization abilities were studied by the measurement of thermal dependence of the prepared thin films optical transmission.     

A Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study of TiO2 Thin Films Prepared by dc Reactive Magnetron Sputtering： Annealing Temperature Effect

TiO2 thin films are obtained by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. A target of titanium （99.995%） and a mixture of argon and oxygen gases are used to deposit TiO2 films on to silicon wafers （100）. The crystalline structure of deposited and annealed film are deduced by variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry （VASE） and supported by x-ray diffractometry. The optical properties of the films are examined by VASE. Measurements of ellipsometry are performed in the spectral range O. 72-3.55 e V at incident angle 75^o. Several SE models, categorized by physical and optical models, are proposed based on the ＇simpler better＇ rule and curve-fits, which are generated and compared to the experimental data using the regression analysis. It has been found that the triple-layer physical model together with the Cody-Lorentz dispersion model offer the most convincing result. The as-deposited films are found to be inhomogeneous and amorphous, whereas the annealed films present the phase transition to anatase and rutile structures. The refractive index of TiO2 thin films increases with annealing temperature. A more detailed analysis further reveals that thickness of the top sub-layer increases, whereas the region of the bottom amorphous sub-layer shrinks when the films are annealed at 300℃.     

Optical properties of polysiloxane hybrid thin films containing nano-sized Ag–As–Se chalcogenide clusters

Chalcogenide glasses are attractive for all-optical signal processing due to their outstanding optical properties, including large optical nonlinearity, a high refractive index and high photosensitivity. In device fabrication, a challenge lies in the difficulty of obtaining thin films with a high stability and good uniformity. In this paper, optical thin films containing nano-sized chalcogenide clusters in polysiloxane matrices are fabricated by a modified plasma deposition process. The optical absorption and luminescence emission properties of the hybrid thin films were characterized by UV-Vis-NIR and fluorescence spectroscopy. Luminescent emission from Ag–As–Se nano-sized clusters was observed for the first time in these nano-hybrid thin films, and the mechanism was discussed.     

Photoinduced changes in optical and contact properties of chalcogenide glasses

Photoinduced changes in optical and contact properties in thin films of glasses of As-Se and As-S systems are studied experimentally. The changes detected in the optical constants and parameters of the potential barrier at the interface between a metal and a chalcogenide vitreous semiconductor are explained by the rearrangement of the glass host under the action of radiation.     

Thickness distribution of thin amorphous chalcogenide films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Amorphous chalcogenide thin films were prepared from As₂Se₃, As₃Se₂ and InSe bulk glasses by pulsed laser deposition using a KrF excimer laser. Thickness profiles of the films were determined using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The influence of the laser beam scanning process during the deposition on the thickness distribution of the prepared thin films was evaluated and the corresponding equations suggested. The results were compared with experimental data.     

椭偏与光度法联用精确测定吸收薄膜的光学常数与厚度

介绍了一种同时利用椭偏仪和分光光度计精确测量薄膜光学常数的方法, 并详细比较了该方法与使用单一椭偏仪拟合结果的可靠性.采用可变入射角光谱型椭偏仪（VASE）表征了250—1700 nm波段辉光放电法沉积的类金刚石薄膜,研究发现当仅用椭偏参数拟合时,由于厚度与折射率、消光系数的强烈相关性,无法得到吸收薄膜光学常数的准确解.如果加入分光光度计测得的透射率同时拟合,得到的结果具有很好的惟一性.该方法无需设定色散模型即可快速拟合出理想的结果,特别适合于确定透明衬底上较薄吸收膜的光学常数. 关键词： 光学常数 光谱型椭偏仪 吸收薄膜 透射率     

AgAsS2 amorphous chalcogenide films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

A pulsed laser deposition technique has been applied to prepare amorphous ternary Ag–As–S films without an annealing process after the deposition. The films were prepared from AgAsS₂ bulk glass using a KrF excimer laser. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and Rutherford backscattering were used to obtain the composition of the studied films. VASE ellipsometry has been used to determine optical properties and homogeneity of the index of refraction. Comparison of two models is presented. PACS 78.66.Jg; 81.15.Fg; 81.40.Wx     

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.     

Single-mode low-loss chalcogenide glass waveguides for the mid-infrared

We demonstrate the design, fabrication, and characterization of single-mode low-loss waveguides for mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths. Planar waveguide structures were fabricated from multilayer thin films of arsenic-based chalcogenide glasses followed by the creation of channel waveguides by using the photodarkening effect. Propagation losses as low as 0.5 dB/cm were measured for a quantum cascade laser end-fire coupled into the waveguides. This is a first step toward the design and fabrication of integrated optical components for MIR applications.     

Optical study of BST films combining ellipsometry and reflectivity

Optical properties of plasma laser-deposited Ba_0.75Sr_0.25TiO₃ (BST) thin films have been investigated using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and near-normal spectroscopic reflectivity (NNSR) within a broad spectral range at room temperature. The samples prepared under various deposition conditions and the Si substrate coated with the structure SiO₂/TiO_x/Pt were measured. The X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and alpha step measurement were used for characterization of the samples. A special attention was paid to study sample texture. Both sets of experimental data (VASE and NNSR) were fitted simultaneously to obtain the optical constants (e.g. complex refractive index) and thicknesses of the films. For modeling of the experimental data in the range of transparency the Cauchy and Urbach formulas were used. The direct fit procedure and the Cody-Lorentz model were applied around and below absorption edge. In the entire spectral range the reflectivity spectra were analyzed by Kramers-Kronig analysis. The data around the absorption edge were fitted using the single-wavelength method and the absorption edge features were found up about 3.5 eV. The platinum-coated Si substrate data were fitted as a semi-infinite medium using the Drude and Lorentz oscillators model. The structure model for optical characterization of the sample included not only the BST layers and substrate but also the intermix and surface roughness layers to achieve good agreement with experimental data. The substrate structure was modeled by a simple bulk with surface roughness.     

Photoexpansion and photobleaching effects in oxysulfide thin films of the GeS2+Ga2O3 system

Oxysulfide systems undergo structural transformations upon illumination with laser light of near bandgap energy, as well as chalcogenide materials (glasses and films). In this paper, photoinduced effects such as photoexpansion and photobleaching were observed in GeS₂+Ga₂O₃ (GGSO) films synthesized by electron beam evaporation. A surface expansion of the thin films and a shift to shorter wavelengths of the optical absorption edge were observed as a result of UV laser irradiation (wavelength of 351 nm) and they are dependent on laser power density, exposure time and film composition. These parameters were varied to evaluate and enhance the observed effects. In addition, the irradiated GGSO samples exhibited a decrease in refractive index, measured with a prism-coupling technique, which makes these films suitable candidates for applications as gratings and waveguides in integrated optics.     

A comparative study of the density of defect states in bulk samples and thin films of glassy Se<Subscript>90</Subscript>Sb<Subscript>10</Subscript>

The present paper reports the comparative study of density of defect states (DOS) between bulk samples and thin films of glassy Se₉₀Sb₁₀. These glasses have been prepared by the quenching technique. Thin films of these glasses have been prepared by vacuum evaporation technique. Space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) has been measured at different temperatures. The density of localized states near Fermi level is calculated by fitting the data to the theory of SCLC for the case of uniform distribution of localized states for bulk as well as for thin films. A comparison has been made between the density of states calculated in these two cases.     

Poisson's ratio and the densification of glass under high pressure

Because of a relatively low atomic packing density, (Cg) glasses experience significant densification under high hydrostatic pressure. Poisson's ratio (nu) is correlated to Cg and typically varies from 0.15 for glasses with low Cg such as amorphous silica to 0.38 for close-packed atomic networks such as in bulk metallic glasses. Pressure experiments were conducted up to 25 GPa at 293 K on silica, soda-lime-silica, chalcogenide, and bulk metallic glasses. We show from these high-pressure data that there is a direct correlation between nu and the maximum post-decompression density change.     

Photoconductivity in amorphous chalcogenide thin films: Effect of incorporation of Bi,Sb and Te IN Ge22Se78 binary alloy

Temperature and intensity dependence of steady state photoconductivity is studied in amorphous thin films of various chalcogenide glasses with a view to see the effect of incorporation of Bi, Sb and Te in Ge-Se system. Our results show that the photosensitivity decreases as 10 at % of Bi, Sb and Te are incorporated in Ge₂₂Se₇₈.Transient photoconductivity measurements have also been made on the same samples. These results show that the decay of photoconductivity becomes slower when Bi, Sb and Te are incorporated. The results have been explained in terms of the defect states which are introduced after incorporation of these elements in the binary system.     

Tm~(3+)掺杂Ge-Ga-S玻璃微球-石英光纤锥耦合系统的荧光回廊模特性

以熔融淬冷法自制了Tm~(3+)掺杂Ge-Ga-S硫系玻璃,并以此为基质材料,用漂浮粉料熔融法制备了直径分布为50—200μm的高品质因数(Q10~4)的有源硫系玻璃微球谐振腔.在显微镜下优选出一颗表面质量好、球形度较高、直径为72.84μm的微球,与氢氧焰扫描拉锥法制备的一根腰锥直径为1.93μm的石英光纤锥进行近场耦合.根据基质材料的吸收光谱特性,选用808 nm的半导体激光器作为抽运源.实验测得光纤锥倏逝波场激发出了掺Tm~(3+)硫系玻璃微球在1460 nm附近的荧光回廊模式,其典型共振峰间隔为4.39 nm.实验测得的荧光回廊模式与米氏散射理论计算结果符合度较高(最大误差仅为0.047%),验证了本文提出的掺Tm~(3+)硫系微球制备及耦合工艺的可行性.     

Thickness-dependent electrical and optical properties of Ge8Sb2Te11 thin films

The amorphous Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films with varying thickness are thermally deposited on well-cleaned glass substrate from its polycrystalline bulk. Absence of any sharp peak confirms the amorphous nature of deposited films. Thickness-dependent electrical and optical properties including dc-activation energy, sheet resistivity, optical band gap, band tailing parameter, etc. of Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films have been studied. The optical parameters have been calculated from transmission, reflection and absorbance data in the spectral range of 200–1100 nm. It has been found that optical band gap and band tailing parameter decreases with the increase in Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films thickness. The dc-activation energy and sheet resistivity decreases while the crystallization temperature of the amorphous Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁ films increases with the increase in thickness of the films. The decrease of the sheet resistivity has been substantiated quantitatively using the classical size-effect theory. These results have been explained on the basis of rearrangements of defects and disorders in the amorphous chalcogenide system.     

Preparation and Characterization of Silver Selenide Thin Film

Silver selenide, a phase-changing chalcogenide material, is prepared using electro deposition method for various molarities. X-ray diffraction studies show the cubic lattice of the material. The micro-structural properties such as grain size, strain, dislocation density, and texture coefficient are examined. The lattice constant is calculated using Nelson-Relay function. Morphological studies are done and uniform distributions of grains are observed. High purities of thin films are confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The band gap is calculated using UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence technique, and hence, the Stokes’s effect is observed in silver selenide thin films. It is the first time that the lattice constant and the Urbach energy for various molarities in the case of silver selenide thin films are reported.