Continuous wave channel waveguide lasers in Nd:LuVO<sub>4</sub> fabricated by direct femtosecond laser writing

doi:10.1364/OE.20.001969

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Continuous wave channel waveguide lasers in Nd:LuVO₄ fabricated by direct femtosecond laser writing

Yingying Ren, Ningning Dong, John Macdonald, Feng Chen, Huaijin Zhang, and Ajoy K. Kar »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 20, Issue 3, pp. 1969-1974 (2012)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.001969

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– Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Experiments in details
3. Results and discussion
4. Summary
– References and links

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Abstract

Buried channel waveguides in Nd:LuVO₄ were fabricated by femtosecond laser writing with the double-line technique. The photoluminescence properties of the bulk materials were found to be well preserved within the waveguide core region. Continuous-wave laser oscillation at 1066.4 nm was observed from the waveguide under ~809 nm optical excitation, with the absorbed pump power at threshold and laser slope efficiency of 98 mW and 14%, respectively.

1. Introduction

Neodymium doped vanadate crystals, including yttrium vanadate (Nd:YVO₄), gadolinium vanadate (Nd:GdVO₄), and lutetium vanadate (Nd:LuVO₄), etc., are considered as favorite gain media for solid state lasers owing to their large emission cross-section, high absorption and high thermal conductivity [1

A. Agnesi, A. Guandalini, and G. Reali, “Efficient 671-nm pump source by intracavity doubling of a diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19(5), 1078–1082 (2002). [CrossRef]

–8

S. R. Zhao, H. J. Zhang, J. Y. Wang, H. K. Kong, X. F. Cheng, J. H. Liu, J. Li, Y. T. Lin, X. B. Hu, X. G. Xu, X. Q. Wang, Z. S. Shao, and M. H. Jiang, “Growth and characterization of the new laser crystal Nd:LuVO₄,” Opt. Mater. 26(3), 319–325 (2004). [CrossRef]

]. For example, Nd:YVO₄ has become the mostly widely used working medium for the green laser pointers in the hybrid “Nd:YVO₄ + KTiOPO₄” intracavity self frequency doubling system. Among the vanadate family, Nd:LuVO₄ is a new member, which was successfully grown, for the first time, by Maunier et al. in 2002 [5

C. Maunier, J. L. Doualan, R. Moncorgé, A. Speghini, M. Bettinelli, and E. Cavalli, “Growth, spectroscopic characterization, and laser performance of Nd:LuVO₄, a new infrared laser material that is suitable for diode pumping,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19(8), 1794–1800 (2002). [CrossRef]

]. The absorption cross section σ_abs at 808 nm for Nd:LuVO₄ (0.04 at.%), Nd:YVO₄(0.4 at.%) and Nd:GdVO₄ (1.2 at.%) are reported to be 69 × 10⁻²⁰ cm², 57 × 10⁻²⁰ cm² and 52 × 10⁻²⁰ cm², respectively, whilst the emission cross section σ_em at ~1064 nm are determined to be 146 × 10⁻²⁰ cm², 135 × 10⁻²⁰ cm² and 76 × 10⁻²⁰ cm², respectively [5

–9

X. Yu, C. L. Li, G. C. Sun, B. Z. Li, X. Y. Chen, M. Zhao, J. B. Wang, X. H. Zhang, and G. Y. Jin, “Continuous-Wave Dual-Wavelength Operation of a Diode-End-Pumped Nd:LuVO₄ Laser,” Laser Phys. 21(6), 1039–1041 (2011). [CrossRef]

], which prove that Nd:LuVO₄ crystals possess even greater absorption and emission cross sections than those of conventional vanadate crystals. Meanwhile, Nd:LuVO₄ laser operating at 1064 nm [8

], 1343 nm [9

], 916 nm [10

C. Y. Zhang, L. Zhang, Z. Y. Wei, C. Zhang, Y. B. Long, Z. G. Zhang, H. Zhang, and J. Wang, “Diode-pumped continuous-wave Nd:LuVO₄ laser operating at 916 nm,” Opt. Lett. 31(10), 1435–1437 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

], and 880 nm [11

B. Liu, Y. L. Li, and H. L. Jiang, “Nd:LuVO₄ as a true three-level laser,” Laser Phys. Lett. 8(8), 575–578 (2011). [CrossRef]

] have been realized.

With respect to bulk geometry, the confinement of light in very small volumes through optical waveguides increases the light intensity to a great extend, resulting in the considerable improvement of some performances in the guiding structures [12

C. Grivas, “Optically pumped planar waveguide lasers, Part I: Fundamentals and fabrication techniques,” Prog. Quantum Electron. 35(6), 159–239 (2011). [CrossRef]

, 13

D. Kip, “Photorefractive waveguides in oxide crystals: fabrication, properties, and applications,” Appl. Phys. B 67(2), 131–150 (1998). [CrossRef]

]. Waveguide lasers are expected to have relatively low lasing thresholds and comparable efficiencies with respect to their bulk counterparts. In addition, the compact size of the waveguide components offers possibility for further integration of various devices on a single chip to achieve multifunctional photonic applications. Although several techniques, such as oxygen ion implantation [14

C. L. Jia, X. L. Wang, K. M. Wang, and H. J. Zhang, “Characterization of optical waveguide in Nd:LuVO₄ crystals by triple-energy oxygen ion implantation,” Physica B 403(4), 679–683 (2008). [CrossRef]

] and pulsed laser deposition [15

H. X. Li, J. Y. Wang, H. J. Zhang, G. W. Yua, X. X. Wang, L. Fang, M. R. Shen, Z. Y. Ning, Q. W. Tang, S. L. Li, X. L. Wang, and K. M. Wang, “Structural and optical properties of Nd:LuVO₄ waveguides grown on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition,” J. Cryst. Growth 277(1-4), 269–273 (2005). [CrossRef]

], have been utilized to fabricate optical waveguides in Nd:LuVO₄, no laser oscillations were reported based on these waveguides.

Direct femtosecond (fs) laser writing has recently emerged as one of the most efficient techniques for three-dimensional (3D) volume microstructuring of transparent optical materials [16

S. Juodkazis, V. Mizeikis, and H. Misawa, “Three-dimensional microfabrication of materials by femtosecond lasers for photonics applications,” J. Appl. Phys. 106(5), 051101 (2009). [CrossRef]

]. By focusing the fs laser pulses on selected positions inside the substrates, permanent refractive index changes, either in the irradiated region or in the surrounding area of modified region, are produced, in such a way that optical waveguides are fabricated. This technique has been proved to be an almost universal technique for waveguide writing in a wide range of transparent materials, including optical crystals [17

Y. Tan, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, G. A. Torchia, A. Benayas, and D. Jaque, “Continuous wave laser generation at 1064 nm in femtosecond laser inscribed Nd:YVO₄ channel waveguides,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 97(3), 031119 (2010). [CrossRef]

–22

A. Rodenas and A. K. Kar, “High-contrast step-index waveguides in borate nonlinear laser crystals by 3D laser writing,” Opt. Express 19(18), 17820–17833 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

], ceramics [23

A. Benayas, W. F. Silva, A. Ródenas, C. Jacinto, J. Vázquez de Aldana, F. Chen, Y. Tan, R. R. Thomsom, N. D. Psaila, D. T. Reid, G. A. Torchia, A. K. Kar, and D. Jaque, “Ultrafast laser writing of optical waveguides in ceramic Yb:YAG: a study of thermal and non-thermal regimes,” Appl. Phys., A Mater. Sci. Process. 104(1), 301–309 (2011). [CrossRef]

–26

N. Dong, Y. Yao, F. Chen, and J. R. Vazquez de Aldana, “Channel waveguides preserving luminescence features in Nd³⁺:Y₂O₃ ceramics produced by ultrafast laser inscription,” Phys. Status Solidi 5, 184–186 (2011).

], glasses [27

N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, H. T. Bookey, A. K. Kar, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, A. Jha, and S. Shen, “Er:Yb-doped oxyﬂuoride silicate glass waveguide ampliﬁer fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 90(13), 131102 (2007). [CrossRef]

–30

L. B. Fletcher, J. J. Witcher, N. Troy, S. T. Reis, R. K. Brow, and D. M. Krol, “Direct femtosecond laser waveguide writing inside zinc phosphate glass,” Opt. Express 19(9), 7929–7936 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

], and polymers [31

W. Watanabe, S. Sowa, and K. Itoh, “Waveguide writing in bulk PMMA by femtosecond laser pulses,” Proc. SPIE 6108, 61080R, 61080R-6 (2006). [CrossRef]

]. By using this method, buried channel waveguides have been produced in Nd:YVO₄ and Nd:GdVO₄ [17

–19

Y. Tan, Y. Jia, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, and D. Jaque, “Simultaneous dual-wavelength lasers at 1064 and 1342 nm in femtosecond-laser-written Nd:YVO₄ channel waveguides,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 28(7), 1607–1610 (2011). [CrossRef]

]. As for Nd doped fs-laser written waveguide lasers, up to now, the highest efficiency (70% slope efficiency) was obtained in Nd:GdVO₄ platform [18

Y. Tan, A. Rodenas, F. Chen, R. R. Thomson, A. K. Kar, D. Jaque, and Q. Lu, “70% slope efficiency from an ultrafast laser-written Nd:GdVO₄ channel waveguide laser,” Opt. Express 18(24), 24994–24999 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

], and the maximum output power was 1.3W for Nd:YAG crystalline waveguides [21

T. Calmano, J. Siebenmorgen, O. Hellmig, K. Petermann, and G. Huber, “Nd:YAG waveguide laser with 1.3 W output power, fabricated by direct femtosecond laser writing,” Appl. Phys. B 100(1), 131–135 (2010). [CrossRef]

In this work, we focus on the fabrication of buried channel waveguides in Nd:LuVO₄ crystal by using direct fs laser writing and the continuous wave (cw) laser actions in the waveguide.

2. Experiments in details

The Nd:LuVO₄ (doped by 0.1 at.% Nd³⁺) crystal used in this work was grown by Czochralski method. It was optically polished and cut to dimensions of 2.5(x) × 5.7(y) × 4(z) mm³. The waveguides were produced by using the well-known “double line” technique. An IMRA μJewel mode-locked laser system, delivering pulses with a central wavelength of 1047 nm, pulse duration of 360 fs and repetition rate of 200 kHz, was employed to write waveguides in the crystal. The laser beam, with horizontal polarization, was focused 100 μm below the polished surface by an achromatic lens with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.6. The sample, fixed onto an Aerotech 3D translation stage, was translated perpendicularly to the laser beam and parallel to the crystallographic y axis (see Fig. 1(a) ) with a speed of 1 mm/s and 10 mm/s, respectively. Figure 1(a) shows the schematic diagram of the waveguide fabrication experimental setup. During the writing process, pairs of parallel tracks with separation distance of 25 μm were formed, one of which is shown in Fig. 1(a). The waveguide was therefore formed in the region between the two tracks due to the stress-induced refractive index changes. For the guiding properties and laser experiments discussed in this paper a waveguide was used, which was fabricated with an average power of 274 mW (corresponding to pulse energy of 1.4 μJ) and a sample translation speed of 10 mm/s. The cross-sections of the tracks are shown in Fig. 1(b).

Fig. 1 (a) The experimental set-up for femtosecond laser writing experiments, and (b) the end-face microscope image of Nd:LuVO₄ waveguide sample. The waveguide is located in the open dashed circular region.

An end-face coupling arrangement was utilized to investigate the near-field modal profiles of the waveguide with a He-Ne laser at wavelength of 632.8 nm.

The confocal micro-photoluminescence (μ-PL) properties were obtained by using an argon laser providing 10 mW cw radiations at 488 nm. An Olympus BX-41 fiber-coupled confocal microscope and an XY motorized stage with a spatial resolution of 100 nm were employed. The laser beam was focused into the sample by an oil immersion 100 × microscope objective with NA = 0.8, exciting the transition of Nd³⁺ ions through from the ground state ⁴I_9/2 up to the ²G_3/2 excited state. Then the Nd³⁺ fluorescence emission spectra corresponding to the ⁴F_3/2 to ⁴I_9/2 emission band was back-collected by the same microscope objective and analyzed on a high resolution spectrometer (SPEX500M). Three dimensional spectral maps including the emitted intensity, emission bandwidth, and energy position of the main fluorescence line were obtained by fitting the collected spectra and plotting the obtained values with the aid of software LabSpec© and WSMP©.

The waveguide laser experiment was performed by using a typical end-face coupling system. A cw Ti:sapphire laser (Coherent MBR 110) generating a linearly polarized beam at ~809 nm was employed as a pump source. A convex lens with a focal length of 25 mm was used to focus the pump light beam into the waveguide. The generated laser beam from the output facet was collected by a 20 × microscope objective. The laser oscillation was realized without any cavity mirrors (i.e., the laser cavity was formed directly by two polished facets of the sample). The transmittance of the crystal’s faces can be estimated from the refractive index of Nd:LuVO₄ to be close to 90%. After being separated from the residual pump through a dichroic mirror with high reflection at around 808 nm and high transmission at about 1064 nm, the laser emission from the waveguide was detected by the spectrometer, CCD camera or powermeter.

3. Results and discussion

We constructed the 2D refractive index profile of the femtosecond laser written Nd:LuVO₄ waveguide showed in Fig. 1(b) with the method introduced in previous works (see Ref [32

C. Zhang, N. N. Dong, J. Yang, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, and Q. M. Lu, “Channel waveguide lasers in Nd:GGG crystals fabricated by femtosecond laser inscription,” Opt. Express 19(13), 12503–12508 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

].). The reconstructed index profile of waveguides at the cross section is depicted in Fig. 2(a) . With these index profiles, we simulated the light propagation in the waveguide by using a commercial software BeamPROP© based on the finite difference beam propagation method (FD-BPM) [33

Rsoft Design Group, Computer software BEAMPROP (http://www.rsoftdesign.com).

]. Figure 2(c) shows the calculated modal profiles of fundamental TM mode (TM₀₀). As can be seen, the combination of refractive index reduction within the tracks (Δn≈-0.08) and stress induced positive refractive index change (Δn≈ + 0.004) results in an index distribution, which supports guiding and excellent confnement of the fundamental mode at a wavelength 633 nm. Meanwhile, the image of the near field light intensity distributions of TM mode from the out facets of the samples, which are captured by a CCD camera, is shown in Fig. 2(b). The waveguide mainly shows a clear single mode character, which is an outstanding feature of relevance in many practical applications. By comparing Fig. 2(c) with 2(b), one can conclude that there is a reasonable agreement between the calculated and experimental data. The propagation loss of the waveguide was estimated to be ~2 dB/cm.

Fig. 2 (a) Reconstructed 2D refractive index profile of the Nd:LuVO₄ waveguide on the cross section, (b) measured near-field intensity of the light of TM₀₀ mode, (c) calculated modal profile distribution of TM₀₀ mode.

Figure 3(a) depicts a typical µ-PL emission spectrum corresponding to the ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2 transition of the Nd³⁺ ions in Nd:LuVO₄ crystal, which consists of a narrow and intense peak at 880.1 nm. In order to obtain the detailed modification of fluorescence properties, we focused on the 880.1 nm emission line and investigated the spatial distribution of the integrated intensity, full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the photoluminescence line and spectral shift in a wide area covering the modified and unmodified Nd:LuVO₄ volumes. The results are displayed in Figs. 3(b), 3(c) and 3(d), respectively. Meanwhile, for easy visualization and comparison, Figs. 3(e), 3(f) and 3(g) depict the 1-D profiles corresponding to the position indicated by the dashed lines in Figs. 3(b), 3(c) and 3(d), respectively. As shown in Figs. 3(a) and 3(d), there is an obvious reduction in the luminescence intensity generated from the filaments volume, which can be attributed to the high density of lattice defects and imperfections in these areas. Similarly, a broadening of the luminescence line also reveals the presence of lattice defects and disorder in the filament area, which can be seen from Figs. 3(b) and 3(e). In addition, the emission line shifts to lower energies at the filament locations, see Figs. 3(c) and 3(f), which correspond to red shifts. It has been proved that red shifts of the µ-PL emission spectra are spatially coinciding with the lateral zones of filaments, and is aroused by the compressive stress [17

, 18

, 24

A. Ródenas, G. A. Torchia, G. Lifante, E. Cantelar, J. Lamela, F. Jaque, L. Roso, and D. Jaque, “Refractive index change mechanisms in femtosecond laser written ceramic Nd:YAG waveguides: micro-spectroscopy experiments and beam propagation calculations,” Appl. Phys. B 95(1), 85–96 (2009). [CrossRef]

]. At the same time, from Figs. 3(a)-3(g), similar Nd³⁺ luminescence intensity, FWHM and peak position are observed in the waveguide volumes (between the two filaments) and the bulk of Nd:LuVO₄ crystal, which, in general, means that the spectroscopic properties of the Nd³⁺ ions are well preserved in the waveguide so that the fabricated waveguide emerge as promising integrated laser element.

Fig. 3 (a) The room temperature µ-PL emission spectra correlated to Nd³⁺ ions at ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2 transition of the Nd:LuVO₄ crystal; the 2D mappings of the (b) spatial dependence of the emitted intensity, (c) FWHM and (d) energy shift of the corresponding emission line of Nd³⁺ around 880 nm obtained from the channel waveguide; the 1D distribution of the (c) emitted intensity, (f) FWHM and (g) energy shift of the 880-nm line from the waveguide (corresponding to the regions indicated by dashed lines in the 2D mappings of (b), (c) and (d), respectively).

Figure 4(a) depicts the room temperature waveguide laser power, generated from the Nd:LuVO₄ waveguide, as a function of the absorbed pump power. The experimental data and the linear fit are displayed by solid balls and green solid line, respectively. The laser is found to be stable. It can be determined that the absorbed pump power at threshold (P_th) is about 98 mW, whilst the slope coefficient (Φ) is:14%. The maximum laser power achieved is:31 mW for the maximum absorbed pump power of:318 mW, leading to an optical conversion efficiency of:10%. Figure 4(b) shows the room temperature laser emission spectrum centered at 1066.4 nm when the absorbed power is above the lasing threshold. The inset of Fig. 4(b) illustrates the near-field emission intensity profile of the output laser of TM mode. The laser performance of the waveguide fabricated in this work is comparable to that obtained in previous works reported in [19

] and [20

J. Siebenmorgen, K. Petermann, G. Huber, K. Rademaker, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Femtosecond laser written stress-induced Nd:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (Nd:YAG) channel waveguide laser,” Appl. Phys. B 97(2), 251–255 (2009). [CrossRef]

] in term of slope efficiency. Nevertheless, when compared with the prior works [17

, 18

, 21

, 25

G. A. Torchia, A. Rodenas, A. Benayas, E. Cantelar, L. Roso, and D. Jaque, “Highly efficient laser action in femtosecond-written Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet ceramic waveguides,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(11), 111103 (2008). [CrossRef]

], the performance is relatively low, which might due to the lower concentration of Nd³⁺ (0.1 at.%) in Nd:LuVO₄ crystal and higher propagation loss of the waveguide. Thus, further improvement of the laser performance is expected by increasing the Nd³⁺ concentration or optimizing the writing conditions, i.e., the pulse duration, the writing velocity, or by writing more complex structures.

Fig. 4 (a) The cw waveguide laser output power as a function of the absorbed pump power. (b) Laser emission spectrum of the output light at ~1066.4 nm. The inset shows the normalized spatial intensity distribution of the output laser mode

4. Summary

We have reported the fabrication of buried channel waveguides in Nd:LuVO₄ by using femtosecond laser writing. Stable laser operation at 1066.4 nm has been realized with the lasing threshold power of 98 mW and the slope efficiency of 14%. The good laser performance suggests potential applications on construction of integrated laser devices in Nd:LuVO₄.

Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11111130200), and Royal Society international joint projects NSFC 2010 (JP 100985). The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the UK EPSR`C through grant EP/GO30227/1.

References and links

1.	A. Agnesi, A. Guandalini, and G. Reali, “Efficient 671-nm pump source by intracavity doubling of a diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19(5), 1078–1082 (2002). [CrossRef]
2.	H. Ogilvy, M. Withford, P. Dekker, and J. A. Piper, “Efficient diode double-end-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser operating at 1342nm,” Opt. Express 11(19), 2411–2415 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3.	C. Czeranowsky, M. Schmidt, E. Heumann, G. Huber, S. Kutovoi, and Y. Zavartsev, “Continuous wave diode umped intracavity doubled Nd:GdVO₄ laser with 840 mW output power at 456 nm,” Opt. Commun. 205, 361–365 (2002).
4.	H. Zhang, J. Liu, J. Wang, C. Wang, L. Zhu, Z. Shao, X. Meng, X. Hu, M. Jiang, and Y. T. Chow, “Characterization of the laser crystal Nd:GdVO₄,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19(1), 18–27 (2002). [CrossRef]
5.	C. Maunier, J. L. Doualan, R. Moncorgé, A. Speghini, M. Bettinelli, and E. Cavalli, “Growth, spectroscopic characterization, and laser performance of Nd:LuVO₄, a new infrared laser material that is suitable for diode pumping,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19(8), 1794–1800 (2002). [CrossRef]
6.	T. S. Lomheim and L. G. DeShazer, “Optical-absorption intensities of trivalent neodymium in the uniaxial crystal yttrium orthovanadate,” J. Appl. Phys. 49(11), 5517–5522 (1978). [CrossRef]
7.	T. Jensen, V. G. Ostroumov, J.-P. Meyn, G. Huber, A. I. Zagumennyi, and I. A. Shcherbakov, “Spectroscopic Characterization and Laser Performance of Diode-Laser-Pumped Nd:GdVO₄,” Appl. Phys. B 58(5), 373–379 (1994). [CrossRef]
8.	S. R. Zhao, H. J. Zhang, J. Y. Wang, H. K. Kong, X. F. Cheng, J. H. Liu, J. Li, Y. T. Lin, X. B. Hu, X. G. Xu, X. Q. Wang, Z. S. Shao, and M. H. Jiang, “Growth and characterization of the new laser crystal Nd:LuVO₄,” Opt. Mater. 26(3), 319–325 (2004). [CrossRef]
9.	X. Yu, C. L. Li, G. C. Sun, B. Z. Li, X. Y. Chen, M. Zhao, J. B. Wang, X. H. Zhang, and G. Y. Jin, “Continuous-Wave Dual-Wavelength Operation of a Diode-End-Pumped Nd:LuVO₄ Laser,” Laser Phys. 21(6), 1039–1041 (2011). [CrossRef]
10.	C. Y. Zhang, L. Zhang, Z. Y. Wei, C. Zhang, Y. B. Long, Z. G. Zhang, H. Zhang, and J. Wang, “Diode-pumped continuous-wave Nd:LuVO₄ laser operating at 916 nm,” Opt. Lett. 31(10), 1435–1437 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11.	B. Liu, Y. L. Li, and H. L. Jiang, “Nd:LuVO₄ as a true three-level laser,” Laser Phys. Lett. 8(8), 575–578 (2011). [CrossRef]
12.	C. Grivas, “Optically pumped planar waveguide lasers, Part I: Fundamentals and fabrication techniques,” Prog. Quantum Electron. 35(6), 159–239 (2011). [CrossRef]
13.	D. Kip, “Photorefractive waveguides in oxide crystals: fabrication, properties, and applications,” Appl. Phys. B 67(2), 131–150 (1998). [CrossRef]
14.	C. L. Jia, X. L. Wang, K. M. Wang, and H. J. Zhang, “Characterization of optical waveguide in Nd:LuVO₄ crystals by triple-energy oxygen ion implantation,” Physica B 403(4), 679–683 (2008). [CrossRef]
15.	H. X. Li, J. Y. Wang, H. J. Zhang, G. W. Yua, X. X. Wang, L. Fang, M. R. Shen, Z. Y. Ning, Q. W. Tang, S. L. Li, X. L. Wang, and K. M. Wang, “Structural and optical properties of Nd:LuVO₄ waveguides grown on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition,” J. Cryst. Growth 277(1-4), 269–273 (2005). [CrossRef]
16.	S. Juodkazis, V. Mizeikis, and H. Misawa, “Three-dimensional microfabrication of materials by femtosecond lasers for photonics applications,” J. Appl. Phys. 106(5), 051101 (2009). [CrossRef]
17.	Y. Tan, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, G. A. Torchia, A. Benayas, and D. Jaque, “Continuous wave laser generation at 1064 nm in femtosecond laser inscribed Nd:YVO₄ channel waveguides,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 97(3), 031119 (2010). [CrossRef]
18.	Y. Tan, A. Rodenas, F. Chen, R. R. Thomson, A. K. Kar, D. Jaque, and Q. Lu, “70% slope efficiency from an ultrafast laser-written Nd:GdVO₄ channel waveguide laser,” Opt. Express 18(24), 24994–24999 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19.	Y. Tan, Y. Jia, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, and D. Jaque, “Simultaneous dual-wavelength lasers at 1064 and 1342 nm in femtosecond-laser-written Nd:YVO₄ channel waveguides,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 28(7), 1607–1610 (2011). [CrossRef]
20.	J. Siebenmorgen, K. Petermann, G. Huber, K. Rademaker, S. Nolte, and A. Tünnermann, “Femtosecond laser written stress-induced Nd:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (Nd:YAG) channel waveguide laser,” Appl. Phys. B 97(2), 251–255 (2009). [CrossRef]
21.	T. Calmano, J. Siebenmorgen, O. Hellmig, K. Petermann, and G. Huber, “Nd:YAG waveguide laser with 1.3 W output power, fabricated by direct femtosecond laser writing,” Appl. Phys. B 100(1), 131–135 (2010). [CrossRef]
22.	A. Rodenas and A. K. Kar, “High-contrast step-index waveguides in borate nonlinear laser crystals by 3D laser writing,” Opt. Express 19(18), 17820–17833 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23.	A. Benayas, W. F. Silva, A. Ródenas, C. Jacinto, J. Vázquez de Aldana, F. Chen, Y. Tan, R. R. Thomsom, N. D. Psaila, D. T. Reid, G. A. Torchia, A. K. Kar, and D. Jaque, “Ultrafast laser writing of optical waveguides in ceramic Yb:YAG: a study of thermal and non-thermal regimes,” Appl. Phys., A Mater. Sci. Process. 104(1), 301–309 (2011). [CrossRef]
24.	A. Ródenas, G. A. Torchia, G. Lifante, E. Cantelar, J. Lamela, F. Jaque, L. Roso, and D. Jaque, “Refractive index change mechanisms in femtosecond laser written ceramic Nd:YAG waveguides: micro-spectroscopy experiments and beam propagation calculations,” Appl. Phys. B 95(1), 85–96 (2009). [CrossRef]
25.	G. A. Torchia, A. Rodenas, A. Benayas, E. Cantelar, L. Roso, and D. Jaque, “Highly efficient laser action in femtosecond-written Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet ceramic waveguides,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(11), 111103 (2008). [CrossRef]
26.	N. Dong, Y. Yao, F. Chen, and J. R. Vazquez de Aldana, “Channel waveguides preserving luminescence features in Nd³⁺:Y₂O₃ ceramics produced by ultrafast laser inscription,” Phys. Status Solidi 5, 184–186 (2011).
27.	N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, H. T. Bookey, A. K. Kar, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, A. Jha, and S. Shen, “Er:Yb-doped oxyﬂuoride silicate glass waveguide ampliﬁer fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 90(13), 131102 (2007). [CrossRef]
28.	D. J. Little, M. Ams, P. Dekker, G. D. Marshall, J. M. Dawes, and M. J. Withford, “Femtosecond laser modification of fused silica: the effect of writing polarization on Si-O ring structure,” Opt. Express 16(24), 20029–20037 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
29.	D. G. Lancaster, S. Gross, H. Ebendorff-Heidepriem, K. Kuan, T. M. Monro, M. Ams, A. Fuerbach, and M. J. Withford, “Fifty percent internal slope efficiency femtosecond direct-written Tm³⁺:ZBLAN waveguide laser,” Opt. Lett. 36(9), 1587–1589 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
30.	L. B. Fletcher, J. J. Witcher, N. Troy, S. T. Reis, R. K. Brow, and D. M. Krol, “Direct femtosecond laser waveguide writing inside zinc phosphate glass,” Opt. Express 19(9), 7929–7936 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
31.	W. Watanabe, S. Sowa, and K. Itoh, “Waveguide writing in bulk PMMA by femtosecond laser pulses,” Proc. SPIE 6108, 61080R, 61080R-6 (2006). [CrossRef]
32.	C. Zhang, N. N. Dong, J. Yang, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, and Q. M. Lu, “Channel waveguide lasers in Nd:GGG crystals fabricated by femtosecond laser inscription,” Opt. Express 19(13), 12503–12508 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
33.	Rsoft Design Group, Computer software BEAMPROP (http://www.rsoftdesign.com).

OCIS Codes
(140.3380) Lasers and laser optics : Laser materials
(230.7380) Optical devices : Waveguides, channeled
(350.3390) Other areas of optics : Laser materials processing

ToC Category:
Lasers and Laser Optics

History
Original Manuscript: November 28, 2011
Revised Manuscript: January 8, 2012
Manuscript Accepted: January 9, 2012
Published: January 13, 2012

Citation
Yingying Ren, Ningning Dong, John Macdonald, Feng Chen, Huaijin Zhang, and Ajoy K. Kar, "Continuous wave channel waveguide lasers in Nd:LuVO₄ fabricated by direct femtosecond laser writing," Opt. Express 20, 1969-1974 (2012)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-20-3-1969

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References

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N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, H. T. Bookey, A. K. Kar, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, A. Jha, and S. Shen, “Er:Yb-doped oxyﬂuoride silicate glass waveguide ampliﬁer fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription,” Appl. Phys. Lett.90(13), 131102 (2007). [CrossRef]
D. J. Little, M. Ams, P. Dekker, G. D. Marshall, J. M. Dawes, and M. J. Withford, “Femtosecond laser modification of fused silica: the effect of writing polarization on Si-O ring structure,” Opt. Express16(24), 20029–20037 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
D. G. Lancaster, S. Gross, H. Ebendorff-Heidepriem, K. Kuan, T. M. Monro, M. Ams, A. Fuerbach, and M. J. Withford, “Fifty percent internal slope efficiency femtosecond direct-written Tm³⁺:ZBLAN waveguide laser,” Opt. Lett.36(9), 1587–1589 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
L. B. Fletcher, J. J. Witcher, N. Troy, S. T. Reis, R. K. Brow, and D. M. Krol, “Direct femtosecond laser waveguide writing inside zinc phosphate glass,” Opt. Express19(9), 7929–7936 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
W. Watanabe, S. Sowa, and K. Itoh, “Waveguide writing in bulk PMMA by femtosecond laser pulses,” Proc. SPIE6108, 61080R, 61080R-6 (2006). [CrossRef]
C. Zhang, N. N. Dong, J. Yang, F. Chen, J. R. Vázquez de Aldana, and Q. M. Lu, “Channel waveguide lasers in Nd:GGG crystals fabricated by femtosecond laser inscription,” Opt. Express19(13), 12503–12508 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Rsoft Design Group, Computer software BEAMPROP ( http://www.rsoftdesign.com ).

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