Kerr studies of several tellurite glasses

Estimates of Kerr electrooptical sensitivity of several tellurite glasses are presented. The highest value of Kerr coefficient B ∼ 190 × 10−16 m V−2 is registered for 0.6TeO2–0.3TlO0.5–0.1ZnO glass. This evidences the prospects of thallium–tellurite glass system for electrooptical applications. A gradual decrease of B from 41 × 10−16 to 26 × 10−16 m V−2 in (1 − x) TeO2 – xNbO2.5 system is revealed for x increasing from 0.1 to 0.15. No crystalline phase was found in that system, thus allowing attributing its Kerr sensitivity to the intrinsic properties of the glass matrix. The Kerr coefficient variation from 66 to 81 × 10−16 m V−2 was observed for 0.85TeO2–0.15WO3 glasses co-doped with small amounts of silver and cerium. The analysis of optical absorption spectra of several silver-containing tellurium–tungsten oxide glasses makes it possible to think that introducing cerium provokes formation of new mid-range orderings.