Compositional dependence of optically encoded second-harmonic generation in pure binary lead-silicate and ternary barium borosilicate glasses

Ultrahigh-purity undoped binary lead-silicate and ternary barium borosilicate glass systems were used to study the dependence of photoinduced second-harmonic generation (SHG) on the composition of these materials. The experiments revealed a peak in the SHG conversion efficiency as a function of the compositional dependence in the ternary glass system that correlates with the density of three-oxygen-coordinated boron. A nonexponential decay of the SHG during the readout process was observed for the lead-silicate glasses. In addition, these glasses exhibited threshold behavior in the second-harmonic conversion efficiency with varying IR preparation intensity.