Patent ID: 6604387
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
A method of inducing an electro-optic nonlinearity in a silica-based glass material having a dielectric breakdown field, the method comprising:heating the silica-based glass material; ramping up the temperature to an elevated temperature at a rate which does not physically damage the silica-based glass material, said elevated temperature selected to be at least as high as an optimum poling temperature for inducing the electro-optic nonlinearity in the silica-based glass material; applying an electric field through the silica-based glass material, said electric field having a magnitude close to and less than the dielectric breakdown field of the silica-based glass material; while applying said electric field, ramping down the temperature from said elevated temperature to a temperature lower than said optimum poling temperature at a rate slow enough to allow the silica-based glass material to be at a temperature close to said optimum poling temperature for a sufficient time to yield a maximum non-zero electro-optic nonlinearity of the silica-based glass material for the applied electric field and the optimum poling temperature; and turning off the electric field and allowing the silica-based glass material to return to an ambient temperature.