Light dynamics in glass-vanadium dioxide nanocomposite waveguides with thermal nonlinearity

TL;DR

This paper investigates how laser beams propagate in glass-vanadium dioxide nanocomposite waveguides, revealing that phase transition-induced changes enable optical limiting in the near-infrared range.

Contribution

It introduces the study of thermo-optical nonlinear effects in SiO2-VO2 nanocomposite waveguides and their impact on light propagation and optical limiting.

Findings

Large absorption coefficient modifications during phase transition

Significant refractive index changes in VO2 nanoparticles

Potential for optical limiting in near-infrared range

Abstract

We address the propagation of laser beams in Si02-VO2 nanocomposite waveguides with thermo-optical nonlinearity. We show that the large modifications of the absorption coefficient as well as notable changes of refractive index of VO2 nanoparticles embedded into the SiO2 host media that accompany the semiconductor-to-metal phase transition may lead to optical limiting in the near-infrared wave range.