Research Projects

The development of ultra-fast and competent optical components requires advanced innovation in functional materials. Germanium-based glasses/glass ceramics, particularly those with a crystalline domain in the nano-range, show exceptionally high nonlinearity and are highly promising for crafting advanced opto-electronic components. These properties are easily tuneable due to their intrinsic dependence on glass composition and crystalline domain distribution. The proposed work explores the nonlinear response of germanium-based glass/glass ceramics in the Infrared and Terahertz region. This will lead to a better understanding of light-matter interactions and new pathways to add functionalities to the material, making them future ready for point-of-need applications. The interaction of high-repetition rate femtosecond pulses with the proposed glass systems may lead to the generation of crystalline nano domain inside the glassy matrix. Laser interactions activate the material around the focal region of the laser beam, allowing for spatial control of the nano domain, potentially adding new functionalities to the material. This spatial control may add new functionalities to the material. References: X. Feng, Y. Lun, X. Jiang, J. Qiu, H. Yu, S. Zhou, Y. Hu, K. Tian, T. Li, M. Zhang, H. Ren, S. Qi, A. Yang, X. Feng, Z. Yang, Opt. Mater. Express, 2021, 232, 117808, L. R. P. Kassab, G. R. da Silva Mattos, S. A. M. Issa, G. Bilal, C. D. S. Bordon, G. Kilic, H. M. H. Zakaly, and H. O. Tekin, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron., 2021, 32, 22953–22973, S. D. McAnany, K. J. Veenhuizen, A. M. Kiss, J. Thieme, D. A. Nolan, B. G. Aitken, V. Dierolf, H. Jain, J. Non. Cryst. Solids, 2021, 551, 120396, Int. J. Appl. Glas. Sci., 2020, 11, 112–119, Y. Tsuri, M. Maruyama, R. Fujimoto, S. Okada, H. Adachi, H. Y. Yoshikawa, K. Takano, S. Murakami, H. Matsumura, T. Inoue, K. Tsukamoto, M. Imanishi, M. Yoshimura, and Y. Mori.