Photosensitive Thin Films: Manipulation of Defects Through Synthesis Control

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Abstract
Multi-functional, integrated optical devices are the foundation for technologies commanding a significant high-tech market share. Areas such as telecommunications, remote sensing, biomedical applications, information processing and data storage benefit from devices based on the patterning of refractive index modulations. Current synthesis techniques used to achieve the desired device structures typically involve multi-step processing, relying on complex chemical and/or mechanical procedures. We have demonstrated the ability to produce highly photosensitive germanosilicate thin films using a novel sputtering approach which enables us to obtain the largest reported Δn in as-synthesized materials. In addition, control of processing environment has allowed us to engineer not only the magnitude of the optical response of the films but also the sign of the induced index change. We have developed a defect model to describe the effects observed and have demonstrated proof-of-principle devices in our waveguides.

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