Preparation and nonlinear optical properties of LiCaBO₃–Ag₂O and LiCaBO₃–Gd₂O₃–Ag₂O borate glasses with Ag nanoparticles

Abstract

The preparation and results of investigations of nonlinear optical properties of LiCaBO 3 -Ag 2 O and LiCaBO 3 -Gd 2 O 3 -Ag 2 O glasses with Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) formed by thermal treatment in vacuum and in air are presented. The intensive plasmon absorption Ag NPs in optical transmission spectra were observed. Nonlinear optical properties of glasses by single-beam Z-scan technique were investigated: it was ascertained an influence of Ag NPs on their nonlinear optical properties, in particular, changes of nonlinear refractive index n 2 , and nonlinear absorption coefficient b.