Characterization of refractive index profiles in silver-sodium ion-exchanged glass waveguides for homogeneous refracting waveguide structures

The refractive index profiles are investigated for Ag/sup +/-Na/sup +/ ion-exchanged waveguides in soda-lime glass. The waveguides with the highest index change, used to design homogeneous refracting waveguide lenses and prisms, are fabricated at 350 degrees C using concentrated melt with composition of 10 mol.% AgNO/sub 3/ and 90 mol.% NaNO/sub 3/. The profiles of two- and three-mode waveguides are reconstructed from the measured mode refractive indexes. The linear correlation between the index change and the silver concentration in glass is experimentally confirmed. The concentration profiles are numerically simulated on the base of diffusion-exchange theory. It is established that the values of the maximum in index profile near the glass surface tend to a saturation value after a long exchange time.<
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