Ridge waveguides in Yb³⁺-doped silicate glass fabricated by combination of proton implantation and femtosecond laser ablation

Ridge waveguides were fabricated in Yb³⁺-doped silicate glass by proton implantation combined with the femtosecond laser ablation. The Yb³⁺-doped silicate glass were implanted by H⁺ ions with the double-energy (470 keV + 500 keV) at a total dose of 3 × 10¹⁶ ions cm⁻² for the formation of planar waveguides. After annealing at 260 °C, the double-line modification tracks, which provide lateral confinement of light to form ridge waveguide structures, were inscribed on the surface of sample with 3 μJ pulse laser energy, 50 μm s⁻¹ scan speed, and 25 μm separation. The vacancy distribution of the original planar waveguide structure induced by the proton implantation was numerically calculated by the SRIM 2013. The near-field intensity distribution of the waveguide was measured by the end-face coupling system, which shows that the light can be well confined in the ridge waveguide. The micro-fluorescence features have been found well preserved in the waveguide region. This work indicates that the ridge waveguide fabricated by laser ablation assisted proton implantation in Yb³⁺-doped silicate glass has an important potential as an active waveguide device in optical fiber communication and all-optical communication. (paper)