PREPARATION OF COPPER-RUBY GLASSES BY SPUTTERING AND THEIR OPTICAL-PROPERTIES

Copper-ruby glasses, which exhibit an absorption maximum at about 570 nm, were prepared by simultaneous sputtering of copper and silica glass. The glasses turned red by heat treatment for less than 30 min at 650-degrees-800-degrees-C. The optimum heat treatment temperature was 700-degrees-C. Changes of optical absorption with heat treatment time were measured. X-ray diffraction analysis identified precipitated particles to be Cu particles. The nonlinear optical property of these glasses was evaluated by the degenerate four-wave mixing method. The \chi(3)\ value of this glass was 4.0 x 10(-9) esu at the wavelength of 532 nm.