Enhancement of optical birefringence in tellurite glasses containing silver nanoparticles induced via thermal poling

Abstract Wavelength-selective enhancement of optical birefringence has been observed in a tellurite glass containing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) induced via thermal poling. The birefringence appears as an optical rotation of linearly polarized light; a large optical rotation is observed at around the wavelength of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Ag NPs. The optic axis is oriented along the electric field applied during the thermal poling, suggesting that birefringence induced in the glass matrix through the thermal poling is drastically enhanced by the NPs at around the LSPR. Because of the birefringence of the matrix, the wavelength of LSPR shifts depending on the polarization state of the incident light, which in turn induces the polarization dependence of the real part of the refractive index via the Kramers–Kronig relation.