Prospects of new planar optical waveguides based on eutectic microcomposites of insulating crystals: The ZrO2(c)-CaZrO3 erbium doped system

Abstract

A new approach to produce structured optical materials is described. The method relies on the capability of growing eutectic crystals of wide optical band gap materials by directional solidification procedures. The laser float zone technique was used to produce ordered arrays of alternate lamellae with thickness of the order of microns of erbium doped CaZrO3 and calcia stabilized zirconia single crystals. The later, having a higher refractive index, exhibited planar waveguiding effects as it has been proved experimentally. The possibility of producing waveguides from eutectic crystals promises the fabrication of hundreds of planar waveguides integrated into a crystal grown at a speed of several tenths of cm/h.

Multiphase solidification in multicomponent alloys

“…x i x j x k L f i:j:k (7) As illustrated here for the case of a ternary substitutional phase, several free parameters are entering the description, their number grows with the number of phases that need to be modeled for a given alloy system. Some of the parameters can be taken over from the assessed databases of the lower order subsystems, as the strategy of database construction is necessarily hierarchical.…”

“…Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) are expected to achieve better high temperature creep resistance [6] than single phase ceramics. Steep refractive index profiles associated with the aligned microstructure of ZrO 2 -CaO [7] and CaF 2 -MgO [8] eutectics make them promising candidates for planar and fiber optical waveguiding.…”

Properties of ceramic oxides processed by laser

“…Very high temperatures can be achieved because of the high absorptivity of the ceramic oxide compacts when C0 2 or Nd:YAG láser radiation is used. Coherent electromagnetic radiation is focussed by standard optical elements producing a molten zone and a temperature distribution with steep thermal gradients.…”

“…In this contribution we describe the application of C0 2 Ceramic eutectics have a great microstructural stability up to temperatures cióse to their melting point, very good bonding between phases and, compared with single crystals, much higher resistence to thermal shock. The LFZ technique has been confirmed as a very convenient way for growing highly oriented eutectic structures showing a long-range ordered distribution of the constituent phases, opening new perpectives for these "in situ" composites, in addition to their structural applications.…”

Tb3Sc2Al3O12-TbScO3 eutectic self-organized microstructure for metamaterials and photonic crystals application

“…Mostly metal-metal eutectics were studied for this reason, but more recently, various studies of oxide-oxide eutectics [1][2][3][4][5] have begun to appear in the literature. Oxide-oxide eutectics have also been a recent focus of research into optical materials [6,7] and have been identified as materials which may act as photonic crystals [8,9]. The next foreseen [10] potential application is in the field of metamaterials.…”