Field-assisted solid state doping of glasses for optical materials

Field-assisted solid-state ion-exchange (FASSIE) allows the doping of surface glass layers with multivalent ions which could not diffuse into the glass matrix by the usual thermal ion-exchange process in molten salt baths. This paper presents preliminary spectroscopic investigation of the diffusion of chromium in silicate glasses, with the aim at improving the procedures for the production of Cr-doped optical waveguides. Metallic chromium films deposited onto the glass substrates by the rf-sputtering technique were used as metal ions source. The environment of diffused chromium ions into the glass matrix was investigated by means of micro-Raman spectroscopy.