Nd:MgO:LiNbO3 channel waveguide laser devices

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics 1991-03, Vol.27 (3), p.618-625
• Main Authors: LALLIER, E, POCHOLLE, J. P, PAPUCHON, M, DE MICHELI, M. P, LI, M. J, QING HE, OSTROWSKY, D. B, GREZES-BESSET, C, PELLETIER, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Lasers; Optics; Physics
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/3.81371

A report is presented on the fabrication and efficient CW operation at 1.085 microns of Nd:MgO:LiNbO3 proton-exchanged channel waveguide lasers and amplifiers optically pumped at 0.814 microns. Thresholds as low as 1.5 mW and slope efficiencies up to 34 percent were achieved in monolithic miniature laser devices. Up to 14 mW of output power could be achieved without observation of photorefractive damage. Diode laser pumping was also demonstrated. For the amplifier a small-signal gain of 7.5 dB was achieved for 22 mW of coupled pump power. Experimental results were analyzed with the use of a mode overlap formalism and a value of 0.93 was found for the pump quantum efficiency. Absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, and lifetime measurements are also reported for the bulk and waveguide material. (I.E.)