Comparison of photorefractive damage effects in LiNbO3, LiTaO3, and Ba1−xSrxTiyNb2−yO6 optical waveguides at 488 nm wavelength

• Published in: Applied physics letters 1997-11, Vol.71 (21), p.3051-3053
• Main Authors: Eknoyan, O., Taylor, H. F., Matous, W., Ottinger, T., Neurgaonkar, R. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.119434

Photorefractive-induced damage effects at 488 nm wavelength in LiNbO3, LiTaO3, and Ba1−xSrxTiyNb2−yO6 (BSTN) optical waveguides are compared for the extraordinary mode of polarization. The damage effects are strongest in LiNbO3 and weakest in BSTN. At an input power density of 3000 W/cm2, the output power from passive channel waveguide in LiNbO3 is more than 12 dB lower than in BSTN. Optically induced index changes measured using a Fabry–Perot interferometric method show a nonlinear behavior with increasing input intensity for all these materials. For incident power densities greater than 200 W/cm2 on the waveguides, the optically induced index-change damage increases at a rate of 2.8×10−3 cm2/μW in LiNbO3, 4.9×10−4 cm2/μW in LiTaO3, and 3.1×10−4 cm2/μW in BSTN.