Dynamics of laser-induced radial birefringence in silver-doped glasses.

Silver ion-exchanged glass exhibits nonlinear optical properties upon interacting with intense light beams. The thermal effect due to the nanoparticles' light-absorption induces radial stress, and consequently, a radial birefringence on the glass surface. The induced birefringence possesses a topological charge of 1 in the transverse plane of the glass, i.