Ultraviolet writing of channel waveguides in proton-exchanged LiNbO3

Abstract

We report on a direct ultraviolet ͑UV͒ writing method for the fabrication of channel waveguides at 1.55 m in LiNbO 3 through UV irradiation of surface and buried planar waveguides made by annealed proton exchange and reverse proton exchange. A systematic study of the guidance properties as a function of the UV writing conditions is presented.

Single-mode LiNbO 3 -based waveguides for L-band interferometry

“…A third technique, more prospective, is based on the refractive index modification in LiNbO 3 by UV irradiation. Some recent results have shown the possibility of channel waveguide photo-inscription by doubling an Argon laser (488nm 244nm), producing waveguides with good confinement at 1550nm [8,9]. We have used the same technique in the aim of developing single mode waveguides at 3.39µm.…”

“…Inscription of a birefringent area under UV irradiation in LiNbO 3 has been already presented by other authors [8,9], but in the aim of developing waveguides for 1.55µm. In this work, we have tried to obtain single mode waveguides at 3.39 microns by the same technique.…”