Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing of Lithium Niobate Crystal Semi-Cladding Optical Waveguide

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, the semi-cladding waveguides with diameters of 30, 40 and 50 μm were successfully prepared in lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) crystals by femtosecond laser micro-nano-processing technology. Their waveguiding performances were tested by the end-face coupling technique, which results in the waveguides having excellent transmission performances at the wavelengths of 633 and 1 550 nm. The guidance is valid only for TM polarization with the single-polarized nature. By calculating the transmission loss of the waveguide, it is concluded that the 30 μm diameter waveguide has the best transmission performance at 633 and 1 550 nm wavelengths. The experimental results are proved to be reasonable by theoretical calculations using Rsoft software. The results of this study provide an important reference for the design and performance optimization of optical waveguides, and have certain experimental and theoretical value.

Key words: femtosecond laser micromachining, optical waveguide, lithium niobate crystal, semi-cladding waveguide, 1 550 nm waveguide, single polarization state

CLC Number:

V261.8

DUAN Yumeng, JIA Yuechen, LYU Jinman. Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing of Lithium Niobate Crystal Semi-Cladding Optical Waveguide[J]. JOURNAL OF SYNTHETIC CRYSTALS, 2024, 53(3): 458-464.

References

[1] MILLER S. Integrated optics: an introduction[J]. Bell System Technical Journal, 1969, 48(7): 2059-2069.
[2] TAMIR T. Integrated optics[M]. Berlin: Springer Verlage, 1975.
[3] BALANIS C A. Advanced engineering electromagnetics[M]. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
[4] MURPHY E. Integrated optical circuits and components[M]. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2020.
[5] LIFANTE G. Integrated photonics: fundamentals[M]. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
[6] YARIV A, YEH P. Photonics optical electronics in modern communications[M]. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
[7] SALEH B E A, TEICH M C. Fundamentals of photonics[M]. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2019.
[8] CHOUDHURY D, RODENAS A, PATERSON L, et al. Three-dimensional microstructuring of yttrium aluminum garnet crystals for laser active optofluidic applications[J]. Applied Physics Letters, 2013,(103): 041101-041104.
[9] SUM T, BETTIOL A, VAN KAN J, et al. Proton beam writing of low-loss polymer optical waveguides[J]. Applied Physics Letters, 2003, 83(9): 1707-1709.
[10] TIEN P, ULRICH R, and MARTIN R. Modes of propagating light waves in thin deposited semiconductor films[J]. Applied Physics Letters, 1969, 14(9): 291-294.
[11] ATUCHIN V, ZILING K, and SHIPILOVA D. Investigation of optical waveguides fabricated by titanium diffusion in LiTaO₃[J]. Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics, 1984, 14(5): 671-674.
[12] HUKRIEDE J, KIP D, KRÄTZIG E. Permanent narrow-band reflection holograms for infrared light recorded in LiNbO₃∶Ti∶Cu channel waveguides[J]. Applied Physics B, 2001, 72(6): 749-753.
[13] KAWATA S, SUN H B, TANAKA T, et al. Finer features for functional microdevices[J]. Nature, 2001, 412(6848): 697-698.
[14] SUN H B, MATSUO S, MISAWA H. Three-dimensional photonic crystal structures achieved with two-photon-absorption photopolymerization of resin[J]. Applied physics letters, 1999, 74(6): 786-788.
[15] GLEZER E, MILOSAVLJEVIC M, HUANG L, et al. Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials[J]. Optics Letters, 1996, 21(24): 2023-2025.
[16] WATANABE W, SOWA S, TAMAKI T, et al. Three-dimensional waveguides fabricated in poly (methyl methacrylate) by a femtosecond laser[J]. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 2006, 45(8): 765-767.
[17] HANADA Y, SUGIOKA K, MIDORIKAWA K. UV waveguides light fabricated in fluoropolymer CYTOP by femtosecond laser direct writing[J]. Optics Express, 2010, 18(2): 446-450.
[18] SUGIOKA K, CHENG Y. Ultrafast lasers—reliable tools for advanced materials processing[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2014, 3(4): 149.
[19] DAVIS K, MIURA K, SUGIMOTO N, et al. Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser[J]. Optics Letters, 1996, 21(21): 1729-1731.
[20] GLEZER E, MILOSAVLJEVIC M, HUANG L, et al. Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials[J]. Optics Letters, 1996, 21(24): 2023-2025.
[21] MARSHALL G, POLITI A, MATTHEWS J, et al. Laser written waveguide photonic quantum circuits[J]. Optics Express, 2009, 17(15): 12546-12554.
[22] BURGHOFF J, NOLTE S, TUNNERMANN A. Origins of waveguiding in femtosecond laser-structured LiNbO₃[J]. Applied Physics, A. Materials Science & Processing, 2007(89): 127-132.
[23] TORCHIA G, MEILÁN P, RODENAS A, et al. Femtosecond laser written surface waveguides fabricated in Nd∶YAG ceramics[J]. Optics Express, 2007, 15(20): 13266-13271.
[24] SILVA W, JACINTO C, BENAYAS A, et al. Femtosecond-laser-written, stress-induced Nd∶YVO₄ waveguides preserving fluorescence and Raman gain[J]. Optics Letters, 2010, 35(7): 916-918.
[25] JIA Y, CHEN F. Optical channel waveguides in ZnSe single crystal produced by proton implantation[J]. Optical Materials Express, 2012, 2(4): 455-460.
[26] WONG K K. Properties of lithium niobate[M]. London: The Institution of Engineering and Technology Press, 2002.
[27] VOLK T, WÖHLECKE M. Lithium niobate: defects, photorefraction and ferroelectric switching[M]. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2009.
[28] JACKEL J, RICE C, VESELKA J. Proton exchange in LiNbO₃[J]. Ferroelectrics, 1983, 50(1): 165-170.
[29] VAINIO M, MERIMAA M, NYHOLM K. Optical amplifier for femtosecond frequency comb measurements near 633 nm[J]. Applied Physics B, 2005, 81(8): 1053-1057.
[30] AVCI P, GUPTA A, SADASIVAM M, et al. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring[J]. Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery, 2013, 32(1): 41-52.
[31] BUSKE I, WALTHER A, FITZ D, et al. Smart GPS spoofing to countermeasure autonomously approaching agile micro UAVs[J]. High-Power Lasers and Technologies for Optical Countermeasures, 2022(12273): 62-67.
[32] SPIEGELBERG C, GENG J, HU Y, et al. Low-noise narrow-linewidth fiber laser at 1550 nm[J]. Journal of Lightwave Technology, 2004, 22(1): 57-62.
[33] OSELLAME R, CERULLO G. Femtosecond laser micromachining[M]. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012.
[34] SIEBENMORGEN J, PETERMANN K, HUBER G, et al. Femtosecond laser written stress-induced Nd∶Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (Nd∶YAG) channel waveguide laser[J]. Applied Physics B, 2009, 97(2): 251-255.
[35] DOMACHUK P, CHAPMAN A, MÄGI E, et al. Tapered high-fill photonic crystal fiber[M]. Berlin: Springer Netherlands, 2005.
[36] LV J, CHENG Y, YUAN W, et al. Three-dimensional femtosecond laser fabrication of waveguide beam splitters in LiNbO₃ crystal [J]. Optical Materials Express, 2015, 5: 1274-1280.
[37] LV J, CHENG Y, LU Q, et al. Femtosecond laser written optical waveguides in z-cut MgO∶LiNbO₃ crystal: fabrication and optical damage investigation [J]. Optical Materials, 57: 169-173.