ABSTRACT
We report on femtosecond laser writing of channel waveguides in Nd(3+) ion doped YAG ceramics by multiple inscriptions of damage filaments. Waveguiding between filaments was found to resist annealing temperatures as high as 1500 degrees C. Microluminescence imaging experiments have been carried out to elucidate the potential application of the obtained waveguides as integrated laser sources as well as to elucidate the waveguiding mechanisms.
ABSTRACT
In this work, Er(3+) and Tm(3+)-doped LiLa(9)(SiO(4))(6)O(2) crystals have been grown from an Li(2)MoO(4) flux in the 1360-940 °C temperature range. Optical absorption spectra have been measured to obtain the experimental oscillator strengths of the transitions from the ground state to the excited levels. Judd-Ofelt calculations have been performed to estimate the Ω(2), Ω(4) and Ω(6) intensity parameters. The dynamics of selected Er(3+) and Tm(3+) manifolds have been investigated under selective pulsed excitation in order to determine the energy gap law by comparing the observed decay rates with the Judd-Ofelt predictions.
ABSTRACT
In this work we report on the time and spatial resolved fluorescence of Neodymium ions in LiNbO(3) channel waveguides fabricated by Reverse Proton Exchange. The analysis of the fluorescence decay curves obtained with a sub-micrometric resolution has evidenced the presence of a relevant fluorescence quenching inside the channel waveguide. From the comparison between diffusion simulations and the spatial dependence of the (4)F(3/2) fluorescence decay rate we have concluded that the observed fluorescence quenching can be unequivocally related to the presence of H+ ions in the LiNbO(3) lattice. Nevertheless, it turns out that Reverse Proton Exchange guarantees a fluorescence quenching level significantly lower than in similar configurations based on Proton Exchange waveguides. This fluorescence quenching has been found to be accompanied by a relevant red-shift of the (4)F(3/2)?(4)I(9/2) fluorescence band.
ABSTRACT
For the first time to our knowledge, carbon implantation into YAG crystals doped with Nd has been used to produce optical waveguides. A considerable index decrease in the nuclear region (i.e., the region where the energetic ions stop) of ~ 2.5% was obtained with a low dose implant, while giving an index enhancement in the guiding region of ~ 0.35%. After an annealing step necessary to recover the transparency of the crystals, the layer of reduced refractive index produced by implantation is preserved. Spectroscopic studies carried out in a waveguiding configuration show that emission bands coming from the 4F3/2 level present a slight broadening, while its associated lifetime is similar to that reported in bulk crystals (240 ms).
