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Glass Microspheres for Optics
Author(s) -
Yano Tetsuji,
Kishi Tetsuo,
Kumagai Tsutaru
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.12145
Subject(s) - whispering gallery wave , lasing threshold , materials science , glass microsphere , spheres , laser , optics , resonator , flat glass , microsphere , optoelectronics , composite material , physics , astronomy , chemical engineering , engineering
Preparation and application of glass spheres as resonators are discussed. Surface‐tension mold (StM) and localized‐laser heating ( LLH ) techniques have been developed to fabricate glass super spheres and true spheres, respectively. These prepared glass spherical particles have been examined to evaluate their suitability for whispering gallery mode ( WGM ) oscillators or laser cavities. Super spherical glass acts as a WGM oscillator using its equatorial plane. An equatorial circle roundness > 0.99 provides a high Q‐value to lead laser oscillation. LLH demonstrates its excellent capability to prepare “true spheres” on a transparent substrate under gravity. A tellurite glass sphere prepared by the LLH technique exhibits a few‐ mW ‐order threshold for lasing at the 1.06‐μm region. An added‐on terrace and an installed bubble in the sphere serve as an input/output gate and as a “non‐ WGM ” coupling input gate for laser action, respectively. Glass is showed to have strong potential with respect to both preparation and utilization of spherical shapes for optics.