Abstract
We report on tubular cladding optical waveguides fabricated in Neodymium doped Wollastonite-Tricalcium Phosphate glass in the eutectic composition. The glass samples were prepared by melting the eutectic powder mixture in a Pt-Rh crucible at 1600 °C and pouring it in a preheated brass mould. Afterwards, the glass was annealed to relieve the inner stresses. Cladding waveguides were fabricated by focusing beneath the sample surface using a pulsed Ti:sapphire laser with a pulsewidth of 120 fs working at 1 kHz. The optical properties of these waveguides have been assessed in terms of near-field intensity distribution and transmitted power, and these results have been compared to previously reported waveguides with double-line configuration. Optical properties have also been studied as function of the temperature. Heat treatments up to 700 °C were carried out to diminish colour centre losses where waveguide's modes and transmitted power were compared in order to establish the annealing temperature at which the optimal optical properties were reached. Laser experiments are in progress to evaluate the ability of the waveguides for 1064 nm laser light generation under 800 nm optical pumping.
Highlights
Ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) has demonstrated its feasibility and suitability throughout the last decade to fabricate three dimensional waveguides inside dielectric materials
Waveguides, whose dimensions are in the order of the cladding structure, as the cladding waveguides reported in this work, there may exists an increase of the refractive index in the core due to the mechanical stress induced by the laser interaction with the glass
We report on the fabrication of tubular shaped cladding waveguides by ultrafast laser inscription in CaSiO3-Ca3(PO4)2 eutectic glass doped with Nd3þ ions
Summary
Ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) has demonstrated its feasibility and suitability throughout the last decade to fabricate three dimensional waveguides inside dielectric materials. The shape and the size of the cladding structure can be tailored and adjusted just by positioning the tracks adequately. These characteristics allow a better coupling to the waveguides, a low propagation loss, and a more efficient laser action in materials doped with Rare Earths (RE).. Waveguides, whose dimensions are in the order of the cladding structure, as the cladding waveguides reported in this work, there may exists an increase of the refractive index in the core due to the mechanical stress induced by the laser interaction with the glass. We report on the fabrication of tubular shaped cladding waveguides by ultrafast laser inscription in CaSiO3-Ca3(PO4) eutectic glass doped with Nd3þ ions. CaSiO3Ca3(PO4) eutectic glass presents two interesting properties. Lifetimes and emission cross-sections of the 1.06 lm (Nd3þ) and 1.5 lm (Er3þ) emissions in this glass are comparable to those of the best commercially used alkaline-silicate glasses. it has been shown that its spectroscopic properties could be used as optical probe for biomedical applications.
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