Nonlinear characterization of silver nanocrystals incorporated tellurite glasses for fiber development

To develop high nonlinear optical fibers for all-optical switching applications, 7.5 wt% AgNO
₃
was incorporated into tellurite glasses with composition of 75TeO
₂
-20ZnO-5Na
₂
CO
₃
(TZN75) under precisely-controlled experimental conditions to form 7.5Ag-TZN75 glass. Surface Plasmon resonance absorption peak of Ag nanocrystals embedded in 7.5Ag-TZN75 glass was found to center at 552 nm. By degenerated four-wave mixing method, the non-resonant nonlinear refractive index, n
₂
, of 7.5Ag-TZN75 glass was measured to be 7.54×10
^-19
m
²
·W
^-1
at 1500 nm, about 3 times of the reference TZN75 glass without any dopant and 27 times of the silicate glasses and fibers, and the response time is about 1 picosecond.