Optical planar waveguide fabricated in Nd:LuVO4 crystal by MeV oxygen implantation.

We report the first time optical planar waveguide fabricated in vanadate laser crystal Nd:LuVO4 by 3.0 MeV oxygen ion implantation with the dose of 6x1014 ions/cm2 at room temperature. After the implantation, an enhanced ordinary refractive index region was formed with a width of about 2.1 microm beneath the sample surface to act as a waveguide structure. The modes were observed at 633 nm, while only one mode was observed at 1539 nm after annealing at 300 degrees C for 60 min in air. The changes of ordinary refractive index in the guiding region were about 4.42% and 4.07% before and after annealing.