Preparation and optical properties of CuI microcrystallite-doped borosilicate glasses

The preparation and optical properties of CuI microcrystallite-doped borosi licate glasses are reported in this paper. By selecting a phase-separable g lass system Na2O-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO4 as the base glass and by introducing Cu-, I- from the starting materials CuO/SnO and NaI, respectively, CuI microcrys tallite-doped borosilicate glasses have been prepared successfully. The pre sence of CuI microcrystallites in the glass matrix is verified by means of X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optical transmission spectra show a red-shift of the absorption edge of gla sses heated with increasing temperatures and time. Second harmonic generati on (SHG) has been observed in the glasses illuminated with intense 1.06 mu m and frequency-doubled laser beams from a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser. (C) 20 00 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.