Controlling the Optical Characteristics of Laser-Induced Microstructures in Zinc Phosphate Glass Containing Silver

A focused femtosecond laser beam was used to produce luminescent and birefringent microregions in zinc phosphate glasses containing silver. It was shown that the optical characteristics of the microregions can be controlled by varying the repetition frequency and number of laser pulses. The obtained results are of interest for developing a theoretical model of the processes involved in the formation of nanoclusters and nanoparticles of silver in oxide glass and for developing a multi-level optical memory based on zinc phosphate glass.