Excimer-laser-induced densification in binary silica glasses

We report that the rate of excimer-laser-induced densification is a strong function of composition in the binary metal-oxide-silica system. The pulsed excimer-laser-induced densification rate is shown to increase with metal-o xide content. A good correlation was found between the densification rate a nd the relative softness of the glass, as indicated by the annealing temper ature. : The densification rate for all the glasses was also found to be a strong function of the excimer-laser wavelength in the order 157 nm > 193 n m > 248 nm. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 140.3390, 160.2 750, 160.4760.