Second-Harmonic Generation in Thermally Poled Na₂O-Al₂O₃-TeO₂ Glasses

Abstract

Tellurite glasses exhibit attractive optical properties such as high refractive index, high transmittance in the infrared-to-visible region, and large third-order nonlinear susceptibility. Poled tellurite glasses also show second-harmonic generation (SHG) as revealed by the present authors. However, there exist many unresolved problems in second-harmonic generation of oxide glasses; SH intensity is low and it decays at room temperature. In this work, the effect of Al2O3 addition on SH intensity and its decay has been explored for thermally poled sodium tellurite glasses. The decay rate of SH intensity is reduced by the addition of Al2O3. The result is similar to those reported for phosphate and silicate glasses containing Al2O3. Also, the glasses poled at a voltage of 4 kV manifest optimum poling temperature lower than that for the same glasses poled at 3 kV.