Depressed Cladding Research Articles

2-W continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Tm,Ho:YLF channeled waveguide laser at 2.05 µm.

We report on the operation of an efficient Tm,Ho:YLF depressed cladding, channeled waveguide laser in both continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched (PQS) regimes, producing laser emission at the wavelength of 2.05 µm. The 70-µm diameter depressed cladding waveguide, fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription, had a low propagation loss value of 0.14 dB/cm and a refractive index contrast of 8.3 × 10-4. In the CW regime, the waveguide laser was excited at 780 nm, and an output power of up to 2 W was generated at the incident pump power of 4.14 W with a power slope efficiency of 50.0%. PQS operation was further realized by utilizing a Cr:ZnSe saturable absorber (SA), whereby the waveguide laser generated as short as 19.6-ns pulses with a power slope efficiency of 18.9%.

Laser-written scalable sapphire integrated photonics platform

In this paper, we demonstrate the integration of photonic devices on sapphire substrates using multi-layer depressed cladding waveguides at both 780 nm and 1550 nm. The devices are up to 10 cm long and written at depths down to 800 µm. The propagation losses for single-mode guiding are ∼ 0.6 dB/cm at 780 nm and ∼ 0.7 dB/cm at 1550 nm. A number of structures have been fabricated with simultaneous single-mode and polarization independent operation: evanescently coupled waveguide arrays, Y-branch splitters, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, and a 2 × 2 directional-coupler. All the devices were fabricated using adaptive optics-assisted femtosecond laser direct writing with a customized laser writing algorithm. This work enables the integration of single-mode sapphire photonics devices in a scalable manner, enabling many applications in communications, imaging, computing, and sensing.

Buried depressed cladding waveguides in neodymium-doped yttrium aluminate crystals fabricated by femtosecond laser writing: Raman properties and laser performance

Buried depressed cladding waveguides in neodymium-doped yttrium aluminate crystals fabricated by femtosecond laser writing: Raman properties and laser performance

Multicore fiber design housing a fluorine-doped low-latency core and cutoff shifted cores

Design of heterogeneous 4-core fiber housing a low-latency core and conventional cutoff shifted cores in a standard 125-μm cladding diameter is investigated to enable signal processing delay reduction using common mode impairment. For the low-latency core, 1-μs propagation delay reduction and an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) comparable to or greater than that of cutoff shifted cores are required. In this paper, we consider an F-doped core and depressed cladding structure with a large effective area as the low-latency core. It can be expected to achieve sufficient group delay reduction of the low-latency core, the OSNR unification among heterogeneous cores, and low inter-core crosstalk in a standard 125-μm cladding diameter. Consequently, we revealed the optimized low-latency core achieving the group delay reduction of 1 μs and the OSNR as same level as the cutoff shifted cores as we expected. The designed heterogeneous 4-core fiber with the standard 125-μm cladding diameter suppressed the inter-core crosstalk to be low enough to support a 1,000-km long transmission. We expect the figure-of-merit (FoM) of the 4-core fiber to be as high as previously reported 4-core fibers, and the FoM improvement are found when the low latency core and cutoff shifted core are placed alternately thanks to the core heterogeneity.

Optical fiber with varied flat chromatic dispersion

This paper investigates the design and properties of the conventional all-solid silica based flat dispersion specialty optical fiber. The design utilizes depressed-clad type of refractive index profile which allows for precise control of the optical fiber modal properties, particularly the chromatic dispersion. Specifically designing the dopants concentrations and depressed clad to core diameter ratio allows to obtain optical fibers with flat chromatic dispersion ranging from anomalous to normal dispersion regime. The regime and the values of chromatic dispersion in optical fibers is obtained through the change of the core diameter with the refractive index profile being the same in all optical fibers. The influence of the dopant choice on the mechanical and optical properties is shown using finite element method (FEM) studies. The study demonstrates that fluorine is a better candidate than boron for optical fiber designs that require precise chromatic dispersion characteristics. Six optical fibers were manufactured with the same refractive index profile differing with core radius. This allowed to obtain optical fibers that have chromatic dispersion in anomalous region (17.82 ps/(nm∙km) at 1.96 µm) for the fiber DCFDF1 and normal region (−115.14 ps/(nm∙km) at 1.57 µm) for the fiber DCFDF6.

A novel machine learning method for the design optimization of diamond waveguides fabricated by femtosecond laser writing

We report on a novel machine learning method for the design optimization of femtosecond (fs) laser written dielectric waveguides. Experimental results previously obtained from the optical characterization of fs laser written depressed cladding diamond waveguides have been used to form statistically generated regression models. Design variables such as core diameter and number of written tracks were varied to both minimize the propagation loss as well as to establish a full-factorial experimental design. The regression models were used to conduct a multi-objective optimization study to optimize the competing objectives such as maximizing the refractive index contrast while minimizing the propagation loss and V-number by using a genetic algorithm. Optimization was subject to a nonlinear Rayleigh range constraint to ensure that the structure was in the waveguiding regime. Results from the optimization revealed the optimum variables to achieve low-loss and nearly single-mode guiding for a fs laser written diamond waveguide. Using the solution sets of design parameters resulting from the optimization study and their corresponding objective function values, important correlations between the design parameters and the objective functions have been revealed. With this regard, it has been shown that the number of written tracks is a much more dominant parameter, when compared to core diameter, during the design of a fs laser written circular depressed cladding diamond waveguide. The proposed method should be applicable not only to diamond waveguides but also to a wide range of dielectric waveguides fabricated by fs laser writing.

Broadband thulium fiber amplifier for spectral region located beyond the L-band

We present the development of a pair of silica-based thulium-doped fiber amplifiers working together in a broad spectral range from 1.65 µm to 2.02 µm. For the one optimized for shorter wavelengths, we designed and prepared optical fiber with a depressed cladding. We show the performance of the amplifiers achieving small-signal gain of at least 10 dB over 350 nm range from 1670 nm to 2020 nm, maximum gain of 40.7 dB with a noise figure as low as 6.45 dB and an optical signal-to-noise ratio of up to 50 dB. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that thulium fiber amplifiers of straightforward design without using redundant spectral filters operating efficiently in such a wide spectral region are demonstrated.

Depressed-cladding thulium-doped fiber for applications below 1800 nm

We present a thulium-doped silica fiber, featuring a depressed cladding, for applications at wavelengths below 1800 nm. The depressed cladding is used as a distributed filter suppressing amplified spontaneous emission at longer wavelengths, which helps promote emission at shorter wavelengths. We describe the fiber design process that was carried out by using a combination of numerical methods. The fiber was prepared in-house by a combination of the standard modified chemical vapor deposition method and nanoparticle doping. We demonstrate the effectiveness and tunability of ASE filtering, which is influenced by fiber bend radius and its variation.

High efficiency diode-pumped Pr:LiLuF4 visible lasers in femtosecond-laser-written waveguides.

In this work we investigate the power scaling of diode-pumped Pr:LiLuF4 waveguide lasers produced by direct femtosecond writing. The waveguides studied consisted in depressed cladding waveguides with different geometries. We observed laser emission at 604 nm, achieving a maximum output power of 275 mW and a slope efficiency of 40%, and 721 nm, demonstrating 310 mW of output power and a slope efficiency of 50%. Moreover, we obtained, what we believe is for the first time in a diode-pumped waveguide, laser emission at 523 nm, with a maximum output power of 65 mW and a slope efficiency of 11%. In the end, we also demonstrated the first diode-pumped operation of a single-transverse-mode waveguide laser at 721 nm, reaching a maximum output power of 28 mW and maintaining a high quality beam with an M2 of 1.1.

Enhanced nonlinear effects in femtosecond laser-inscribed depressed cladding waveguides in sapphire crystals.

High-performance depressed cladding waveguides can be fabricated in crystals using ultrafast laser inscription. The investigation of nonlinear phenomena, which manifest during the transmission of high peak power femtosecond pulses within waveguides, holds significant importance for their practical integration into waveguide lasers and waveguide-based components, among other pioneering applications. In this study, the depressed cladding waveguides were successfully prepared in sapphire crystal by a femtosecond laser. The nonlinear phenomena occurring in this waveguide were investigated. The experimental results show that the nonlinearity in the depressed cladding waveguides is significantly enhanced compared with that of the bulk. This enhancement notably manifests through augmented nonlinear losses (NLs) and the third harmonic (TH) blueshift increase. Meanwhile, we theoretically investigate the influence of nonlinear effects on the TH, such as self-phase modulation (SPM), cross-phase modulation (XPM), and group delay. Our results reveal that the phase mismatch between the TH and the pump pulses is the main reason for the asymmetric broadening and blueshift of the TH spectrum. Our study reveals the unique nonlinear properties of the waveguides and lays the foundation for further relevant studies and applications of such waveguides.

Comparative Performance Analysis of Femtosecond-Laser-Written Diode-Pumped Pr:LiLuF4 Visible Waveguide Lasers

In this work, we present the operation of a femtosecond-laser-written diode-pumped visible waveguide laser based on praseodymium-doped lithium lutetium fluoride. The refractive index modification induced by the femtosecond laser in the crystal exhibits an anisotropic behavior, thus enabling the fabrication of different types of waveguides from single-track structures to stress-induced waveguides and depressed cladding structures. All the waveguides were characterized by realizing transmission measurements and the waveguide design was optimized to obtain extremely low propagation losses, equal to 0.12 dB/cm. Lasing has been achieved at 604 nm and 721 nm from different waveguides. In addition, stable continuous-wave lasing at 698 nm has been obtained in a depressed cladding waveguide. This wavelength corresponds to the one needed for the transition of the atomic clock based on the neutral strontium atom. In the end, we report the observation of laser emission at 645 nm from a depressed cladding waveguide.

Comparison of supercontinuum generation in bulk sapphire and femtosecond-laser-inscribed waveguides

We reported that depressed cladding waveguides were successfully fabricated in the sapphire crystal using a femtosecond laser. In waveguides and bulk sapphire, experimental studies and comparisons of supercontinuum generation (SCG) have been carried out. The integrated intensity ratio of the supercontinuum generated by the waveguide with a radius of 36 μm(WGI) to bulk sapphire reaches 2.56:1(400 nm-1028 nm) when the input pulse energy of 7.3 μJ. The SCG threshold in the waveguide with a radius of 24 μm(WGII) is about 15 % lower than bulk sapphire. The results reveal that when compared to bulk sapphire, the SC’s generation efficiency improves while the threshold in the waveguide decreases. Our work proves that femtosecond laser fabricated waveguide can enhance the light-matter interaction and has great potential for the SCG.

Femtosecond laser written continuous-wave Nd3+:BaY2F8 waveguide laser at 1.3 μm

We experimentally demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, robust operation of a Nd3+:BaY2F8 waveguide laser at 1.3 μm without any parasitic lasing at any other wavelength. The best power performance was obtained with a depressed cladding waveguide, having a diameter of 70 μm, which was fabricated by employing femtosecond laser writing. The propagation loss of the waveguide was measured as 0.33 dB/cm at the wavelength of 761 nm. The power performance of the waveguide laser was investigated for E//z and E//y pumping polarizations by using butt-coupled flat resonator mirrors. Higher power performance was obtained for E//z pumping, where the resonator with the 6.2% transmitting output coupler produced 157 mW of continuous-wave output power at 1318 nm with 882 mW of pump power at 800 nm. The measured power slope efficiency was 19% with respect to the incident pump power. By using a different set of cavity optics, 1050-nm lasing performance was also studied, where E//z pumping at 800 nm with the 12% transmitting output coupler yielded 307 mW of output power with 31% slope efficiency. Use of a host medium with relatively low refractive index around 1.5 was instrumental in reducing the facet reflectivity and eliminating the possibility of parasitic lasing at 1.05 μm during 1.3-μm lasing.

Coaxial Mach-Zehnder Digital Strain Sensor Made from a Tapered Depressed Cladding Fiber.

An in-line digital optical sensor was proposed. It was built from a tapered depressed-cladding single-mode fiber and modeled as a coaxial Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The principle of operation of the optical digital sensor is based on the computation of the number of optical power transfer turning points (PTTP) from the transmission data of the component. Biconic tapers with high values of PTTP, high spectral resolution, high extinction ratio, and low insertion loss were modeled, fabricated, and characterized. As a proof of concept, an in-line digital strain sensor was fabricated and characterized. It presents a free spectral range of 1.3 nm, and produced 96 PTTP, at λ0 = 1.55 μm, under stretch of ΔL = 707 µm, therefore producing a digital resolution of 7.4 µm/PTTP. The sensor also produced a quasi-symmetric response to stretch and compression.

Structural optimization of femtosecond-laser-written lithium niobate waveguide by Raman spectroscopy

A new optimization method for femtosecond-laser-written lithium niobate (LN) waveguides is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to achieve low propagation loss. In this method, we use Raman spectroscopy to find detailed structural changes in LN crystal. We then use the results to optimize the laser irradiation conditions, including pulse laser energy, and laser irradiation design. In order to confirm the validity of this method, depressed cladding type LN waveguides were formed and their structural and optical characteristics were investigated in detail. Using proposed method, we succeeded in fabricating depressed cladding type LN waveguides with low propagation loss (∼0.64 dB cm−1) in the communications wavelength band. Furthermore, by analyzing the crystal structure of the depressed cladding waveguide cross-section using a Raman spectroscopy mapping system, the asymmetry of the waveguide cladding was newly clarified, providing a new insight for further improvement of the optical properties.

Single-mode sapphire fiber Bragg grating.

Sapphire optical fiber has the ability to withstand ultrahigh temperatures and high radiation, but it is multimoded which prevents its use in many sensing applications. Problematically, Bragg gratings in such fiber exhibit multiple reflection peaks with a fluctuating power distribution. In this work, we write single-mode waveguides with Bragg gratings in sapphire using a novel multi-layer depressed cladding design in the 1550 nm telecommunications waveband. The Bragg gratings have a narrow bandwidth (<0.5 nm) and have survived annealing at 1000°C. The structures are inscribed with femtosecond laser direct writing, using adaptive beam shaping with a non-immersion objective. A single-mode sapphire fiber Bragg grating is created by writing a waveguide with a Bragg grating within a 425 µm diameter sapphire optical fiber, providing significant potential for accurate remote sensing in ultra-extreme environments.

Sapphire Photonic Crystal Waveguides with Integrated Bragg Grating Structure

This contribution demonstrates photonic crystal waveguides generated within bulk planar sapphire substrates. A femtosecond laser is used to modify the refractive index in a hexagonal pattern around the pristine waveguide core. Near-field measurements reveal single-mode behavior at a wavelength of 1550 nm and the possibility to adapt the mode-field diameter. Based on far-field examinations, the effective refractive index contrast between the pristine waveguide core and depressed cladding is estimated to 3·10−4. Additionally, Bragg gratings are generated within the waveguide core. Due to the inherent birefringence of Al2O3, the gratings exhibit two distinct wavelengths of main reflection. Each reflection peak exhibits a narrow spectral full width at a half maximum of 130 pm and can be selectively addressed by exciting the birefringent waveguide with appropriately polarized light. Furthermore, a waveguide attenuation of 1 dB cm−1 is determined.

Efficient coupling between single mode fibers and glass chip waveguides via graded refractive index fiber tips.

Coupling characteristics between a single mode fiber (SMF) and a waveguide embedded in a glass chip via a graded index fiber (GIF) tip are investigated at a wavelength of 976 nm. The GIF tips comprise a coreless fiber section and a GIF section. A depressed cladding waveguide in a ZBLAN glass chip with a core diameter of 35 μm is coupled with GIF tips that have a range of coreless fiber and GIF lengths. An experimental coupling efficiency as high as 88% is obtained while a numerical simulation predicts 92.9% for the same GIF tip configuration. Since it is measured in the presence of Fresnel reflection, it can be further improved by anti-reflection coating. Additionally, it is demonstrated that a gap can be introduced between the chip waveguide and the GIF tip while maintaining the high coupling efficiency, thus allowing a thin planar optical component to be inserted. The results presented here will enable miniaturization and simplification of photonic chips with integrated waveguides by replacing bulk coupling lenses with integrated optical fibers.

Fabrication of femtosecond laser written depressed-cladding waveguides in Tm3+:BaY2F8 crystal and laser operation near 2 μm

To our knowledge, we report the first waveguide laser operation of Tm3+:BaY2F8 crystal near the wavelength of 2 μm. Femtosecond laser inscription was employed to fabricate two waveguides, each in the form of a circular depressed cladding, with diameters of 30 μm and 50 μm. For the 50-μm-diameter waveguide, the propagation loss was determined as 0.22 dB/cm at the wavelength of 731 nm. A two-mirror resonator consisting of a butt-coupled input high reflector and a 10-cm-radius curved output coupler housed the Tm3+:BaY2F8 crystal waveguide during lasing experiments. By using a continuous-wave Ti3+:sapphire laser at 781 nm, waveguide lasing was obtained at 1.86 μm. By using a 6% output coupler, as high as 73 mW of output power was obtained with the 50-μm-diameter waveguide at an incident pump power of 680 mW, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 13.1%. Lasing threshold pump powers as low as 23 mW were further achieved with a 2% output coupler by using the 30-μm-diameter waveguide. These results show that the Tm3+:BaY2F8crystal possesses an important potential in the development of compact, efficient, femtosecond laser written waveguide lasers near 2 μm.

All-laser-microprocessed waveguide Cr:ZnS laser

We report the proof-of-concept of an operational laser active medium with a depressed cladding waveguide manufactured in the volume of a Cr2+:ZnS single-crystalline sample and antireflection microstructures fabricated on its facets exclusively by femtosecond laser processing techniques. This allowed us to achieve transmittance in a broad range from 2 to 8 µm, approaching a maximum of over 90% near 2.5 µm, and lasing at 2275 nm at the average output power of 20 mW for the absorbed pump power of 500 mW with the slope efficiency of 5.5 %. This demonstration opens up a route towards the industrial fabrication of compact integrable laser sources and sensors based on II-VI materials.