A PYROCERAMIC MATERIAL WITH A BASE OF SILICA AND TIN DIOXIDE, PARTICULARLY FOR OPTICAL APPLICATIONS, AND THE CORRESPONDING PROCESS OF FABRICATION

摘要

Provided herein is a pyroceramic material with a base of silica and tin dioxide: the material has a vitreous silica matrix (Si02), in which there are dispersed crystalline aggregates of tin dioxide (Sn02) having submicrometric or nanometric dimensions, said dimensions being obtained by means of appropriate control of specific operating parameters of the process of preparation. The material has excellent values of optical transmission in the visible and in the near infrared and high properties of photosensitivity and optical non­linearity, which render the material suitable, in particular, for use in devices for optical telecommunications (integrated in optical fibre or on planar waveguide or in three­dimensional devices) and memories, said devices being obtainable, for example, by direct writing or using laser interferometric techniques.