Precipitation of Silver Particles by Femtosecond Laser Pulses inside Silver-ion Doped Glass

Abstract

The following is a report on the photosensitivity of Ag-doped glasses. Success was achieved in the precipitation of silver particles into glasses by the irradiation of femtosecond laser pulses. A condensation area of silver particles was observed at a bottom of the irradiated area. The condensation area was approximately 5 microns in diameter, measured by Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA). A diffraction grating was also fabricated inside the Ag-doped glass by the irradiation of femtosecond laser pulses. This grating shows high diffraction efficiency. We also demonstrated the possibility of an electrical wiring in the glass precipitated with silver particles. These results will be applicable to three-dimensional (3D) wiring and functional optical devices such as optical memory, optical switches, and 3D photonic crystal devices.