Femtosecond laser‐written waveguides in thulium‐doped fluoroindate glass for S‐band amplification. Issue 7 (1st March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Elan, F.; Olivero, M.; Falcão‐Filho, E.L.; de Araújo, C.B.; Messaddeq, Y.; Gomes, A.S.L.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 50:Issue 7(2014)
• Page Start: 540
• Page End: 542
• Publication Date: 2014-03-01
• Subjects: optical waveguides -- high‐speed optical techniques -- optical glass -- indium compounds -- zinc compounds -- barium compounds -- strontium compounds -- gadolinium compounds -- sodium compounds -- gallium compounds -- thulium compounds -- waveguide lasers -- optical microscopy -- optical pumping -- stimulated emission -- optical communication; femtosecond laser‐written waveguides -- thulium‐doped fluoroindate glass -- S‐band amplification -- channel waveguides -- fluoroindate bulk glass -- passive optical characterisation -- visual inspection -- optical microscope -- insertion loss -- mode profile -- dual‐pump scheme -- laser diode -- 3H4 level -- stimulated emission -- lossless component fabrication -- optical communication spectrum -- wavelength 800 nm -- time 100 fs -- frequency 1 kHz -- power 1 mW to 8 mW -- energy 1 muJ to 8 muJ -- wavelength 808 nm -- wavelength 1054 nm -- wavelength 1460 nm to 1530 nm -- InF3‐ZnF2‐BaF2‐SrF2‐GdF2‐NaF‐GaF3‐TmF3; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2014.0505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : Channel waveguides were written in a fluoroindate bulk glass containing thulium, with a femtosecond laser operating at 800 nm, 100 fs pulses and a repetition rate of 1 kHz. Formation of waveguides occurred for average powers from 1 to 8 mW (corresponding to energies of 1–8 μJ) and scan velocities in the range of 0.1–4 mm/s. Passive optical characterisation included visual inspection by an optical microscope, insertion loss and mode profile. Active characterisation was performed by co‐propagating pumping in a dual‐pump scheme that included an 808 nm and a 1054 nm laser diode for an efficient inversion of the 3 H4 level, which is responsible for stimulated emission in the 1460–1530 nm spectral range. Preliminary tests show a net gain of 2.5 dB at 1487 nm, for straight waveguides 1 cm long. Applications include the fabrication of lossless components working in the S‐band region of the optical communication spectrum.