The fabrication and characterization of gallium-diffused planar waveguides in sapphire are reported. Waveguides were fabricated by diffusion of 60-200-nm-thick films of gallium oxide into c-cut sapphire at 1600℃ for times ranging from 6 to 16 h. Near-field intensity profiles of the guided modes were measured at wavelengths from 488 to 850 nm, and the surface-index elevation was estimated to be up to (0.6±0.02)×10~(-2). Potential applications for low-threshold Ti:sapphire waveguide lasers and for optical integrated circuits with passive and active elements in sapphire are discussed.
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