We report the fabrication of femtosecond laser-induced, first-order waveguide Bragg gratings in lithium niobate in the low repetition rate regime. Type-II waveguides are written into an x-cut lithium niobate wafer and structured periodically to achieve narrowband reflections at wavelengths around 1550 nm. Additionally, electrodes are employed to allow for electro-optic tuning of the spectral response. We demonstrate wavelength control of the central reflection peak by applying a static external electric field. A maximum shift of the reflection peak of Δλ = 625 pm is observed.

© 2012 OSA

1. G. Della Valle, R. Osellame, and P. Laporta, “Micromachining of photonic devices by femtosecond laser pulses,” J. Opt. A.-Pure Appl. Op.11, 013001 (2009). [CrossRef]
2. J. Burghoff, C. Grebing, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Efficient frequency doubling in femtosecond laser-written waveguides in lithium niobate,” Appl. Phys. Lett.89, 081108 (2006). [CrossRef]
3. M. Heinrich, A. Szameit, F. Dreisow, S. Döring, J. Thomas, S. Nolte, A. Tünnermann, and A. Ancona, “Evanescent coupling in arrays of type II femtosecond laser-written waveguides in bulk x-cut lithium niobate,” Appl. Phys. Lett.93, 101111 (2008). [CrossRef]
4. J. Thomas, M. Heinrich, P. Zeil, V. Hilbert, K. Rademaker, R. Riedel, S. Ringleb, C. Dubs, J. Ruske, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Laser direct writing: Enabling monolithic and hybrid integrated solutions on the lithium niobate platform,” phys. status solidi (a)208, 276–283 (2011). [CrossRef]
5. K. M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett.21, 1729–1731 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett.71, 3329–3331 (1997). [CrossRef]
7. H. T. Bookey, R. R. Thomson, N. D. Psaila, A. K. Kar, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, and G. Cerullo, “Femtosecond laser inscription of low insertion loss waveguides in Z-Cut lithium niobate,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.19, 892–894 (2007). [CrossRef]
8. A. H. Nejadmalayeri and P. R. Herman, “Ultrafast laser waveguide writing: lithium niobate and the role of circular polarization and picosecond pulse width,” Opt. Lett.31, 2987–2989 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. Y. Liao, J. Xu, Y. Cheng, Z. Zhou, F. He, H. Sun, J. Song, X. Wang, Z. Xu, K. Sugioka, and K. Midorikawa, “Electro-optic integration of embedded electrodes and waveguides in LiNbO3 using a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett.33, 2281–2283 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. G. D. Marshall, R. J. Williams, N. Jovanovic, M. J. Steel, and M. J. Withford, “Point-by-point written fiber-Bragg gratings and their application in complex grating designs,” Opt. Express18, 19844–19859 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. G. D. Marshall, M. Ams, and M. J. Withford, “Direct laser written waveguide-Bragg gratings in bulk fused silica,” Opt. Lett.31, 2690–2691 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. H. Zhang, S. M. Eaton, J. Li, and P. R. Herman, “Femtosecond laser direct writing of multiwavelength bragg grating waveguides in glass,” Opt. Lett.31, 3495–3497 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. H. Zhang, S. M. Eaton, J. Li, A. H. Nejadmalayeri, and P. R. Herman, “Type II high-strength bragg grating waveguides photowritten with ultrashort laser pulses,” Opt. Express15, 4182–4191 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. H. Zhang, S. M. Eaton, and P. R. Herman, “Single-step writing of bragg grating waveguides in fused silica with an externally modulated femtosecond fiber laser,” Opt. Lett.32, 2559–2561 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. G. D. Marshall, P. Dekker, M. Ams, J. A. Piper, and M. J. Withford, “Directly written monolithic waveguide laser incorporating a distributed feedback waveguide-Bragg grating,” Opt. Lett.33, 956–958 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. D. Grobnic, S. Mihailov, C. Smelser, F. Genereux, G. Baldenberger, and R. Vallee, “Bragg gratings made in reverse proton exchange lithium niobate waveguides with a femtosecond IR laser and a phase mask,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.17, 1453–1455 (2005). [CrossRef]
17. J. Burghoff, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Origins of waveguiding in femtosecond laser-structured LiNbO3,” Appl. Phys. A.89, 127–132 (2007). [CrossRef]
18. J. Burghoff, H. Hartung, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Structural properties of femtosecond laser-induced modifications in LiNbO3,” Appl. Phys. A.86, 165–170 (2006). [CrossRef]
19. V. Apostolopoulos, L. Laversenne, T. Colomb, C. Depeursinge, R. P. Salath, M. Pollnau, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, and P. Laporta, “Femtosecond-irradiation-induced refractive-index changes and channel waveguiding in bulk Ti3+:Sapphire,” Appl. Phys. Lett.85, 1122–1124 (2004). [CrossRef]
20. J. Burghoff, C. Grebing, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Waveguides in lithium niobate fabricated by focused ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Surf. Sci.253, 7899–7902 (2007). [CrossRef]
21. G. J. Edwards and M. Lawrence, “A temperature-dependent dispersion equation for congruently grown lithium niobate,” Opt. Quant. Electron.16, 373–375 (1984). [CrossRef]
22. M. Ams, G. Marshall, D. Spence, and M. Withford, “Slit beam shaping method for femtosecond laser direct-write fabrication of symmetric waveguides in bulk glasses,” Opt. Express13, 5676–5681 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. G. Brown, R. R. Thomson, A. K. Kar, N. D. Psaila, and H. T. Bookey, “Ultrafast laser inscription of bragg-grating waveguides using the multiscan technique,” Opt. Lett.37, 491–493 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
24. N. Sanner, N. Huot, E. Audouard, C. Larat, J. Huignard, and B. Loiseaux, “Programmable focal spot shaping of amplified femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.30, 1479–1481 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. A.

• J. Burghoff, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Origins of waveguiding in femtosecond laser-structured LiNbO3,” Appl. Phys. A.89, 127–132 (2007). [CrossRef]
• J. Burghoff, H. Hartung, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Structural properties of femtosecond laser-induced modifications in LiNbO3,” Appl. Phys. A.86, 165–170 (2006). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• V. Apostolopoulos, L. Laversenne, T. Colomb, C. Depeursinge, R. P. Salath, M. Pollnau, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, and P. Laporta, “Femtosecond-irradiation-induced refractive-index changes and channel waveguiding in bulk Ti3+:Sapphire,” Appl. Phys. Lett.85, 1122–1124 (2004). [CrossRef]
• J. Burghoff, C. Grebing, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Efficient frequency doubling in femtosecond laser-written waveguides in lithium niobate,” Appl. Phys. Lett.89, 081108 (2006). [CrossRef]
• M. Heinrich, A. Szameit, F. Dreisow, S. Döring, J. Thomas, S. Nolte, A. Tünnermann, and A. Ancona, “Evanescent coupling in arrays of type II femtosecond laser-written waveguides in bulk x-cut lithium niobate,” Appl. Phys. Lett.93, 101111 (2008). [CrossRef]
• K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett.71, 3329–3331 (1997). [CrossRef]

Appl. Surf. Sci.

• J. Burghoff, C. Grebing, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Waveguides in lithium niobate fabricated by focused ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Surf. Sci.253, 7899–7902 (2007). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• H. T. Bookey, R. R. Thomson, N. D. Psaila, A. K. Kar, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, and G. Cerullo, “Femtosecond laser inscription of low insertion loss waveguides in Z-Cut lithium niobate,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.19, 892–894 (2007). [CrossRef]
• D. Grobnic, S. Mihailov, C. Smelser, F. Genereux, G. Baldenberger, and R. Vallee, “Bragg gratings made in reverse proton exchange lithium niobate waveguides with a femtosecond IR laser and a phase mask,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.17, 1453–1455 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. A.-Pure Appl. Op.

• G. Della Valle, R. Osellame, and P. Laporta, “Micromachining of photonic devices by femtosecond laser pulses,” J. Opt. A.-Pure Appl. Op.11, 013001 (2009). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• G. D. Marshall, R. J. Williams, N. Jovanovic, M. J. Steel, and M. J. Withford, “Point-by-point written fiber-Bragg gratings and their application in complex grating designs,” Opt. Express18, 19844–19859 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Zhang, S. M. Eaton, J. Li, A. H. Nejadmalayeri, and P. R. Herman, “Type II high-strength bragg grating waveguides photowritten with ultrashort laser pulses,” Opt. Express15, 4182–4191 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Ams, G. Marshall, D. Spence, and M. Withford, “Slit beam shaping method for femtosecond laser direct-write fabrication of symmetric waveguides in bulk glasses,” Opt. Express13, 5676–5681 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• G. Brown, R. R. Thomson, A. K. Kar, N. D. Psaila, and H. T. Bookey, “Ultrafast laser inscription of bragg-grating waveguides using the multiscan technique,” Opt. Lett.37, 491–493 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• N. Sanner, N. Huot, E. Audouard, C. Larat, J. Huignard, and B. Loiseaux, “Programmable focal spot shaping of amplified femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.30, 1479–1481 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Zhang, S. M. Eaton, and P. R. Herman, “Single-step writing of bragg grating waveguides in fused silica with an externally modulated femtosecond fiber laser,” Opt. Lett.32, 2559–2561 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. D. Marshall, P. Dekker, M. Ams, J. A. Piper, and M. J. Withford, “Directly written monolithic waveguide laser incorporating a distributed feedback waveguide-Bragg grating,” Opt. Lett.33, 956–958 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. D. Marshall, M. Ams, and M. J. Withford, “Direct laser written waveguide-Bragg gratings in bulk fused silica,” Opt. Lett.31, 2690–2691 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Zhang, S. M. Eaton, J. Li, and P. R. Herman, “Femtosecond laser direct writing of multiwavelength bragg grating waveguides in glass,” Opt. Lett.31, 3495–3497 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett.21, 1729–1731 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. H. Nejadmalayeri and P. R. Herman, “Ultrafast laser waveguide writing: lithium niobate and the role of circular polarization and picosecond pulse width,” Opt. Lett.31, 2987–2989 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Liao, J. Xu, Y. Cheng, Z. Zhou, F. He, H. Sun, J. Song, X. Wang, Z. Xu, K. Sugioka, and K. Midorikawa, “Electro-optic integration of embedded electrodes and waveguides in LiNbO3 using a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett.33, 2281–2283 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Quant. Electron.

• G. J. Edwards and M. Lawrence, “A temperature-dependent dispersion equation for congruently grown lithium niobate,” Opt. Quant. Electron.16, 373–375 (1984). [CrossRef]

phys. status solidi (a)

• J. Thomas, M. Heinrich, P. Zeil, V. Hilbert, K. Rademaker, R. Riedel, S. Ringleb, C. Dubs, J. Ruske, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Laser direct writing: Enabling monolithic and hybrid integrated solutions on the lithium niobate platform,” phys. status solidi (a)208, 276–283 (2011). [CrossRef]

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