Refractive index modification in glass or crystalline materials typically involves conversion of state (amorphous to crystalline or crystalline to amorphous) through a homogeneous, external stimulus such as laser-or current-induced heating, melting, or localized (resonant) bond modification. With the exception of traditional phase change materials that exploit reversibility, usually at high speeds and over multiple cycles, localized patterning of the refractive index is most frequently employed to induce a complete change of phase to enable the creation of embedded or surface optical structures. The present effort employs a novel, laser-induced vitrification (LIV) process developed to spatially modify the refractive index in a fully homogeneous glass ceramic material. Such processing leads to a local re-vitrification of the pre-existing nanocrystalline microstructure within the material to realize spatially-defined, refractive index profiles. Post-processing refractive index modification on the order of ∆n ~-0.062 was realized in a partially crystallized, multicomponent chalcogenide glass ceramic nanocomposite, subjected to bandgap laser exposure. Spatially-varied phase modification in the lateral and axial directions within a bulk glass ceramic is quantified and the optical function of the resulting structure is demonstrated in the formation of an infrared grating. The underlying mechanism associated with the resulting local refractive index modification is explained through quantification of the multi-phase material attributes including parent glass properties, crystal phase identity and phase fraction as determined through micro-XRD and electron microscopic analysis. This correlation validates the proposed mechanism associated with the modification. A threshold power density for LIV in the starting glass ceramic has been determined based on exposure conditions and material attributes.

Infrared (IR) glass-ceramics (GCs) hold the potential to dramatically expand the range of optical material solutions available for use in bulk and planar optical systems in the IR. Current material solutions are limited to single-or polycrystalline materials and traditional IR-transparent optical glasses. GCs that can be processed with spatial control and extent of induced crystallization present the opportunity to realize an effective refractive index variation, enabling arbitrary gradient refractive index elements with tailored optical function. This work discusses the role of the parent glass composition and morphology on nanocrystal phase formation in a multicomponent chalcogenide glass. Through a two-step heat treatment protocol, a Ge-As-Pb-Se glass is converted to an optical nanocomposite where the type, volume fraction, and refractive index of the precipitated crystalline phase(s) define the resulting nanocomposite's optical properties. This modification results in a giant variation in infrared Abbe number, the magnitude of which can be tuned with control of crystal phase formation. The impact of these attributes on the GCs' refractive index, transmission, dispersion, and thermo-optic coefficient is discussed. A systematic protocol for engineering homogeneous or gradient changes in optical function is presented and validated through experimental demonstration employing this understanding.

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On-chip optical isolators constitute an essential building block for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Here, we experimentally demonstrated a magneto-optical isolator monolithically integrated on silicon featuring 3 dB insertion loss and 40 dB isolation ratio, both of which represent significant improvements over state-of-the-art. The isolator is also fully passive and operates under a simple unidirectional magnetization scheme. Such superior performance is enabled through a three-way combination of a strip-loaded waveguide design, a compositionally optimized chalcogenide glass as the light guiding medium, and low-loss taper structures created via gray -scale lithographic processing. The device represents an important step toward a practical solution for on-chip isolation in PICs.

The size and weight of conventional imaging systems is defined by costly non‐planar lenses and the complex lens assemblies required to minimize optical aberrations. The ability to engineer gradient refractive index (GRIN) optics has the potential to overcome constraints of traditional homogeneous lenses by reducing the number of components in optical systems. Here, an innovative strategy to realize this goal based on monolithic GRIN media created in Ge‐As‐Se‐Pb chalcogenide infrared nanocomposites is presented. A gradient heat treatment to spatially modulate the volume fraction of high refractive index Pb‐rich nanocrystals within a glass matrix is utilized, providing a GRIN profile while maintaining an optical transparency. A first‐ever correlation of material chemistry and microstructure, processing protocol, and optical property modification resulting in a prototype GRIN structure is presented. The integrated approach and mechanistic understanding illustrated by this versatile modification paradigm provides a platform for new optical functionalities in next‐generation imaging applications.