Structural and optical study of silicate glasses for nonlinear optical devices.

Nonlinear optical glasses are attractive materials for fast all-optical switching devices because they combine nonlinear index coefficients substantially larger than SiO sub 2 with low absorption coefficients, high damage thresholds, sub-picosecond nonlinear response times, and compatibility with waveguide fabrication processes. In order to determine the relationship of the various physical properties to the structure and/or composition in these glasses, we have synthesized and characterized glasses in titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), sodium (Na), silicate (SiO sub x) system. We discuss the difference between the compositional dependence of the linear and nonlinear optical responses of these glasses.