The combination of ultrafast laser inscription and engineered soft glasses is enabling a new class of photonic devices offering long wavelength transparency, high nonlinearity, and optical gain. However, this field of research also possesses its own unique set of fabrication challenges, which range from the predictable, such as self-focusing effects, material stress, and damage to the unexpected, such as photo-induced index changes of different sign. This article reviews many of the fabrication challenges surrounding ultrafast laser-written soft-glass photonics and highlights these by comparing and contrasting laser processing of common soft glasses in both the athermal and thermal writing regimes.
Origin
Macquarie University, Nsw, Australia
Journal Title
Int J Appl Glass Sci 3 4 2012 332-348
Sector
Special Glass
Class
S 3952