NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR OPTICAL APPLICATIONS

A substantial amount of work has been carried out in the area of nanoc omposite materials for optical applications. Composites are typically constructed by embedding an optically functional phase into a processa ble, transparent matrix material. By doing so, the optical properties can be utilized in more technologically important forms such as films and fibers. This review covers many areas of optical composite researc h to date. Composites with second- and third-order nonlinearities and laser amplification properties are discussed with examples from the re cent literature. Other composites, including transparent magnets, may be made using similar structures. The principles used to construct the se composites may have important technological applications soon and a re therefore summarized in this review.