We have built and demonstrated a lateral shearing interferometer as a process engineering and control tool for the fabrication and characterization of direct-laser-written waveguide structures in chalcogenide glasses. Photoinduced change in refractive index of 0.154 ± 0.002 was measured for as-deposited amorphous As2S3 thin films at 633 nm with an estimated measurement accuracy of 1.3% for this air-gap interferometer configuration. The simple design of this interferometer can very easily be adapted to other wavelengths including mid- and long-wave infrared regions to measure changes in refractive index or material inhomogeneities in transmissive materials.
Revised: January 29, 2009 |
Published: September 5, 2008
Citation
Krishnaswami K., B.E. Bernacki, N. Ho, P.J. Allen, and N.C. Anheier. 2008.Lateral Shearing Interferometer for Measuring Photoinduced Refractive Index Change in As2S3.Review of Scientific Instruments 79, no. 9:Article no. 095101.PNNL-SA-60793.doi:10.1063/1.2973640