Effect of sodium to barium substitution on the space charge implementation in thermally poled glasses for nonlinear optical applications

Thermally poled niobium borophosphate glasses in the system 0.55(0.95-y) NaPO{sub 3}+y/2 Ba(PO{sub 3}){sub 2}+0.05Na{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7})+0.45Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} were investigated for second order optical nonlinear (SON) properties. Bulk glasses were studied by Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis, optical and dielectric measurements. The sodium to barium substitution does not lead to significant changes in optical properties, crystallization of glasses and coordination environment of polarizable niobium atoms. However, the ionic conductivity decreases drastically with the increase of barium concentration. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy has been used to determine the element distribution …