Thermal poling of silica in air and under vacuum: The influence of charge transport on second harmonic generation

A comparison between thermal poling of silica in air and in vacuum is reported. It is shown that the second-order susceptibility and thickness of the nonlinear layer as well as their time evolution are highly dependent on the surrounding poling atmosphere. In the vacuum case a charge distribution (under the anode) more complex and broader than that for the air case has also been revealed by laser induced pressure pulse measurements. A multiple charge carrier model can explain the formation and evolution of the depletion region under the anode. The findings are relevant to achieve improved nonlinearities in fiber and waveguide devices.