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Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: C. Martijn de Sterke
  • Vol. 17, Iss. 2 — Jan. 19, 2009
  • pp: 658–665

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 17 > Issue 2 > Page 658

Correlation between photorefractive index changes and optical damage thresholds in z-cut proton-exchanged-LiNbO3 waveguides

F. Luedtke, J. Villarroel, A. García-Cabañes, K. Buse, and M. Carrascosa  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 17, Issue 2, pp. 658-665 (2009)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.17.000658


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Abstract

An interferometric Mach-Zehnder technique very recently developed has been applied to measure photorefractive index changes in different types of z-cut proton-exchanged planar waveguides in LiNbO3. These measurements are complemented by determining the intensity-threshold for the onset of optical damage with a standard single-beam setup. In the intensity region just below the threshold-intensity obtained in the single-beam experiment the refractive index change is found to saturate at values around 1×10-4. Furthermore, we measure the dark conductivities of proton-exchanged waveguides by monitoring the decay of the light-induced index changes. Via the time constant of the decay we obtain dark conductivities of the order of about 5 × 10-16 Ω-1 cm-1, that are negligible compared with the photoconductivity within the light intensity range used. The results of the measurements compare well with the predictions of a recent work, that uses a two-center model to explain the optical damage.

© 2009 Optical Society of America

OCIS Codes
(160.3730) Materials : Lithium niobate
(160.5320) Materials : Photorefractive materials
(230.7370) Optical devices : Waveguides

ToC Category:
Materials

History
Original Manuscript: November 14, 2008
Revised Manuscript: December 23, 2008
Manuscript Accepted: January 5, 2009
Published: January 7, 2009

Citation
F. Luedtke, J. Villarroel, A. García-Cabañes, K. Buse, and M. Carrascosa, "Correlation between photorefractive index changes and optical damage thresholds in z-cut proton-exchanged-LiNbO3 waveguides," Opt. Express 17, 658-665 (2009)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-17-2-658


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References

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