This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of an ultrafast laser written Er-doped chalcogenide glass buried waveguide amplifier; Er-doped GeGaS glass has been synthesized by the vacuum sealed melt quenching technique. Waveguides have been fabricated inside the 4 mm long sample by direct ultrafast laser writing. The total passive fiber-to-fiber insertion loss is 2.58 ± 0.02 dB at 1600 nm, including a propagation loss of 1.6 ± 0.3 dB. Active characterization shows a relative gain of 2.524 ± 0.002 dB/cm and 1.359 ± 0.005 dB/cm at 1541 nm and 1550 nm respectively, for a pump power of 500 mW at a wavelength of 980 nm.

© 2012 OSA

1. C. D. Lezal, “Chalcogenide glasses—survey and progress,” J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater.5, 23–34 (2003).
2. A. Zakery and S. R. Elliott, Optical Nonlinearities in Chalcogenide Glasses and their Applications, Springer Series in Optical Sciences (Springer, 2007).
3. B. J. Eggleton, B. L. Davis, and K. Richardson, “Chalcogenide photonics,” Nat. Photonics5, 141–148 (2011).
4. K. Abe, H. Takebe, and K. Morinaga, “Preparation and properties of Ge-Ga-S glasses for laser hosts,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids212(2-3), 143–150 (1997). [CrossRef]
5. S. Kasap, K. Koughia, G. Soundararajan, and M. G. Brik, “Optical and photoluminescence properties of erbium-doped chalcogenide glasses (GeGaS:Er),” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.14(5), 1353–1360 (2008). [CrossRef]
6. D. J. Coleman, P. Golding, T. A. King, and S. D. Jackson, “Spectroscopic and energy-transfer parameters for Er3+ doped and Er3+, Pr3+ codoped GeGaS glasses,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B19(9), 1982–1989 (2002). [CrossRef]
7. Z. G. Ivanov, D. Tonchev, R. Ganesan, E. S. R. Gopal, and S. O. Kasap, “Temperature-dependent photoluminescence in Er-doped Ge-S-Ga glasses,” J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater.7, 1863–1867 (2005).
8. Z. G. Ivanova, E. Cernoskova, Z. Cernosek, and M. Vlcek, “Features in the photoluminescence line-shape of heavily Er-doped Ge–S–Ga glasses,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids355(37-42), 1873–1876 (2009). [CrossRef]
9. A. Zakery and S. R. Elliott, “Optical properties and applications of chalcogenide glasses: a review,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids330(1-3), 1–12 (2003). [CrossRef]
10. J. E. McCarthy, H. T. Bookey, N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, and A. K. Kar, “Mid-infrared spectral broadening in an ultrafast laser inscribed gallium lanthanum sulphide waveguide,” Opt. Express20(2), 1545–1551 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. R. R. Gattass and E. Mazur, “Femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent materials,” Nat. Photonics2(4), 219–225 (2008). [CrossRef]
12. K. M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett.21(21), 1729–1731 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. J. R. Macdonald, R. R. Thomson, S. J. Beecher, N. D. Psaila, H. T. Bookey, and A. K. Kar, “Ultrafast laser inscription of near-infrared waveguides in polycrystalline ZnSe,” Opt. Lett.35(23), 4036–4038 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, H. T. Bookey, S. Shen, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, A. Jha, and A. K. Kar, “Supercontinuum generation in an ultrafast laser inscribed chalcogenide glass waveguide,” Opt. Express15(24), 15776–15781 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. G. Della Valle, R. Osellame, N. Chiodo, S. Taccheo, G. Cerullo, P. Laporta, A. Killi, U. Morgner, M. Lederer, and D. Kopf, “C-band waveguide amplifier produced by femtosecond laser writing,” Opt. Express13(16), 5976–5982 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. S. J. Beecher, R. R. Thomson, N. D. Psaila, Z. Sun, T. Hasan, A. G. Rozhin, A. C. Ferrari, and A. K. Kar, “320 fs pulse generation from an ultrafast laser inscribed waveguide laser mode-locked by a nanotube saturable absorber,” Appl. Phys. Lett.97(11), 111114 (2010). [CrossRef]
17. E. R. Van Keuren, “Refractive index measurement using total internal reflection,” Am. J. Phys.73(7), 611–614 (2005). [CrossRef]
18. S. M. Eaton, H. Zhang, M. L. Ng, J. Li, W. J. Chen, S. Ho, and P. R. Herman, “Transition from thermal diffusion to heat accumulation in high repetition rate femtosecond laser writing of buried optical waveguides,” Opt. Express16(13), 9443–9458 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. J. A. Frantz, L. B. Shaw, J. S. Sanghera, and I. D. Aggarwal, “Waveguide amplifiers in sputtered films of Er3+-doped gallium lanthanum sulfide glass,” Opt. Express14(5), 1797–1803 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. T. Schweizer, D. J. Brady, and D. W. Hewak, “Fabrication and spectroscopy of erbium doped gallium lanthanum sulphide glass fibres for mid-infrared laser applications,” Opt. Express1(4), 102–107 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Am. J. Phys.

• E. R. Van Keuren, “Refractive index measurement using total internal reflection,” Am. J. Phys.73(7), 611–614 (2005). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• S. J. Beecher, R. R. Thomson, N. D. Psaila, Z. Sun, T. Hasan, A. G. Rozhin, A. C. Ferrari, and A. K. Kar, “320 fs pulse generation from an ultrafast laser inscribed waveguide laser mode-locked by a nanotube saturable absorber,” Appl. Phys. Lett.97(11), 111114 (2010). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• S. Kasap, K. Koughia, G. Soundararajan, and M. G. Brik, “Optical and photoluminescence properties of erbium-doped chalcogenide glasses (GeGaS:Er),” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.14(5), 1353–1360 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Non-Cryst. Solids

• Z. G. Ivanova, E. Cernoskova, Z. Cernosek, and M. Vlcek, “Features in the photoluminescence line-shape of heavily Er-doped Ge–S–Ga glasses,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids355(37-42), 1873–1876 (2009). [CrossRef]
• A. Zakery and S. R. Elliott, “Optical properties and applications of chalcogenide glasses: a review,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids330(1-3), 1–12 (2003). [CrossRef]
• K. Abe, H. Takebe, and K. Morinaga, “Preparation and properties of Ge-Ga-S glasses for laser hosts,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids212(2-3), 143–150 (1997). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• D. J. Coleman, P. Golding, T. A. King, and S. D. Jackson, “Spectroscopic and energy-transfer parameters for Er3+ doped and Er3+, Pr3+ codoped GeGaS glasses,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B19(9), 1982–1989 (2002). [CrossRef]

J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater.

• Z. G. Ivanov, D. Tonchev, R. Ganesan, E. S. R. Gopal, and S. O. Kasap, “Temperature-dependent photoluminescence in Er-doped Ge-S-Ga glasses,” J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater.7, 1863–1867 (2005).
• C. D. Lezal, “Chalcogenide glasses—survey and progress,” J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater.5, 23–34 (2003).

Nat. Photonics

• B. J. Eggleton, B. L. Davis, and K. Richardson, “Chalcogenide photonics,” Nat. Photonics5, 141–148 (2011).
• R. R. Gattass and E. Mazur, “Femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent materials,” Nat. Photonics2(4), 219–225 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, H. T. Bookey, S. Shen, N. Chiodo, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, A. Jha, and A. K. Kar, “Supercontinuum generation in an ultrafast laser inscribed chalcogenide glass waveguide,” Opt. Express15(24), 15776–15781 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Della Valle, R. Osellame, N. Chiodo, S. Taccheo, G. Cerullo, P. Laporta, A. Killi, U. Morgner, M. Lederer, and D. Kopf, “C-band waveguide amplifier produced by femtosecond laser writing,” Opt. Express13(16), 5976–5982 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. M. Eaton, H. Zhang, M. L. Ng, J. Li, W. J. Chen, S. Ho, and P. R. Herman, “Transition from thermal diffusion to heat accumulation in high repetition rate femtosecond laser writing of buried optical waveguides,” Opt. Express16(13), 9443–9458 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. A. Frantz, L. B. Shaw, J. S. Sanghera, and I. D. Aggarwal, “Waveguide amplifiers in sputtered films of Er3+-doped gallium lanthanum sulfide glass,” Opt. Express14(5), 1797–1803 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• T. Schweizer, D. J. Brady, and D. W. Hewak, “Fabrication and spectroscopy of erbium doped gallium lanthanum sulphide glass fibres for mid-infrared laser applications,” Opt. Express1(4), 102–107 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. E. McCarthy, H. T. Bookey, N. D. Psaila, R. R. Thomson, and A. K. Kar, “Mid-infrared spectral broadening in an ultrafast laser inscribed gallium lanthanum sulphide waveguide,” Opt. Express20(2), 1545–1551 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• K. M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett.21(21), 1729–1731 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. R. Macdonald, R. R. Thomson, S. J. Beecher, N. D. Psaila, H. T. Bookey, and A. K. Kar, “Ultrafast laser inscription of near-infrared waveguides in polycrystalline ZnSe,” Opt. Lett.35(23), 4036–4038 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• A. Zakery and S. R. Elliott, Optical Nonlinearities in Chalcogenide Glasses and their Applications, Springer Series in Optical Sciences (Springer, 2007).

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