Measurement of the linear electro-optic coefficient in poled amorphous silica

Abstract

We report measurements of the linear electro-optic coefficients of temperature- and/or static-electric-field-poled bulk fused silica. The values for r31 and r33 are 0.1 ± 0.03 and 0.3 ± 0.1 pm/V, respectively, in agreement with extrapolations from measured second-harmonic generation coefficients. Measurements were performed by use of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer with LiNbO3 as a reference material.