F2 excimer-laser irradiation induces two major changes in SiO2:
OH glass impregnated with H2 molecules. First, the vacuum–UV
optical absorption edge is bleached, and the absorption at 157
nm decreases from 0.95 to 0.68 cm-1 . Second, preexisting free
SiOH groups and interstitial H2 are photochemically converted to
hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups. It is suggested that the
bleaching of the UV-absorption edge is caused by a change of OH
groups from a free to a hydrogen-bonded state and by photolysis
of distorted Si—O bonds that are absorbing in the edge region. ©
1999 Optical Society of America [Optical Society of America ]
(140.0140) Lasers and laser optics : Lasers and laser optics
(140.2180) Lasers and laser optics : Excimer lasers (140.3330)
Lasers and laser optics : Laser damage (160.6030) Materials :
Silica Masafumi Mizuguchi, Linards Skuja, *Hideo Hosono, and
Tohru Ogawa, "Photochemical processes induced by 157-nm light in
H2-impregnated glassy SiO2:OH," Opt. Lett. 24, 863-865 (1999)