Low dose carbon implanted waveguides in Nd:YAG

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 similar to2.5% was obtained with a low dose implant, while giving an index enhancement in the guiding region of similar to0.35%. 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 F-4(3/2) level present a slight broadening, while its associated lifetime is similar to that reported in bulk crystals ( 240 mus). (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.