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Glass‐Ceramic Materials for Guided‐Wave Optics
Author(s) -
Ferrari Maurizio,
Righini Giancarlo C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of applied glass science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.383
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 2041-1294
pISSN - 2041-1286
DOI - 10.1111/ijag.12129
Subject(s) - materials science , amorphous solid , ceramic , nucleation , optoelectronics , luminescence , crystallization , laser , nanocrystal , nanotechnology , optics , chemical engineering , composite material , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , engineering
Glass‐ceramics ( GC s) are multiphase micro‐ or nano‐crystalline materials produced by the controlled nucleation and crystallization of an amorphous glass through a proper heating or chemical process. Most optical applications require transparency, and this usually implies that the crystalline phase be made of nanocrystals. Transparent GC s are able to combine the advantages of all their components, glasses, and crystals. Incorporation of semiconducting, ferroelectrical, and nonlinear optical phases in glass matrices can produce very promising materials for different applications. A very important role is played by nanocrystals which are activated by luminescent species, as rare earth ions. The presence of the crystalline environment around a rare earth ion allows high absorption and emission across sections, and reduction in the nonradiative relaxations thanks to the lower phonon cut‐off energy. Such materials may lead to real advances in optical amplifiers, up‐conversion fibers, solid‐state lasers, medical sensors, and several other devices, especially if combined with a guided‐wave configuration, which allows high energy densities and efficient delivery of the transmitted optical beams. The present review article covers the properties and current state of transparent glass‐ceramics for guided‐wave devices, including the discussion of the preparation methods and of their spectral and luminescent properties.