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US 2003/0147119 A1Published application
Creating refractive index changes in glass by up-conversion of rare earth ions
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorBryce N. Samson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for creating refractive index changes in a substrate is provided by irradiating the substrate with infrared (IR) or visible light radiation. Ultra-violet (UV) radiation is generated in the substrate responsive to the IR or visible light radiation such that the change in the refractive index of the substrate is generated responsive to the UV radiation. Preferably, the substrate comprises a glass doped with rare earth ions.
Claims34
A method for creating refractive index changes in a substrate comprising:
- irradiating the substrate with a pump radiation of wavelength greater than ultraviolet (UV) radiation,
- generating UV radiation within said substrate responsive to said radiation such that the change in the refractive index of the substrate is generated responsive to said UV radiation.
A substrate comprising:
- a substrate matrix material;
- at least one type of rare earth ion dopant in the matrix material;
- and
- at least one defect in the matrix material which affects a refractive index of the substrate,
- wherein said at least one defect was created by ultra-violet (UV) radiation emission from the rare earth ion dopants responsive to pump radiation at a wavelength longer than said UV radiation.
2 more elements
A method of making a glass substrate comprising the steps of:
- doping the glass substrate with fluorescent ions;
- and
- pumping radiation into the glass substrate,
- wherein ultra-violet (UV) radiation is generated in said substrate by said fluorescent ions responsive to said pump radiation to create defects in the substrate such that a change in a refractive index is generated.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.