Open AccessEffect of sodium oxide content on the formation of nanogratings in germanate glass by a femtosecond laser
Author(s) -
Juechen Wang,
Xiaofeng Liu,
Yong Dai,
Zhiyu Wang,
Jianrong Qiu
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.26.012761
Subject(s) - materials science , optics , femtosecond , germanate , laser , oxide , birefringence , polarization (electrochemistry) , scanning electron microscope , optoelectronics , composite material , chemistry , physics , doping , metallurgy
We report on the formation and structural evolution of embedded self-organized, polarization-dependent nanogratings in sodium germanate glasses induced by an 800 nm, 1 kHz femtosecond laser. Optical birefringence dependent on the femtosecond laser polarization as well as the sodium oxide content is observed when the sample surface is perpendicular to the laser propagation direction. Scanning electron microscopy images of the written lines reveal the formation of periodic platelet or nanovoid arrays, which are aligned perpendicularly to the laser polarization direction after mechanical polishing. The influences of sodium oxide content on the morphology and period of the nanogratings are discussed.