UV-VUV laser induced phenomena in SiO2 glass

Creation and annihilation of point defects were studied for SiO2 glass exposed to ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum UV (VUV) lights to improve transparency and radiation toughness of SiO2 glass to UV-VUV laser light. Topologically disordered structure of SiO2 glass featured by the distribution of Si-O-Si angle is a critical factor degrading transmittance near the fundamental absorption edge. Doping with terminal functional groups enhances the structural relaxation and reduces the number of strained Si-O-Si bonds by breaking up the glass network without creating the color centers. Transmittance and laser toughness of SiO2 glass for F2 laser is greatly improved in fluorine-doped SiO2 glass, often referred as 'modified silica glass'. Interstitial hydrogenous species are mobile and reactive at ambient temperature, and play an important role in photochemical reactions induced by exposure to UV-VUV laser light. They terminate the dangling-bond type color centers, while enhancing the formation of the oxygen vacancies. These findings are utilized to develop a deep-UV optical fiber transmitting ArF laser photons with low radiation damage