Proton-implanted optical channel waveguides in Nd : YAG laser ceramics

We report on the fabrication of optical channel waveguides in Nd : YAG ceramics by multi-energy proton implantation at a total dose of 8 x 10(16) ions cm(-2). The modal distribution of the guided modes obtained from numerical calculation was in good agreement with the experimental result. The propagation loss of the waveguide was determined to be similar to 4 dB cm(-1) after post-annealing up to 400 degrees C in air. Confocal micro-photoluminescence experiments have revealed relevant changes in the Nd spectroscopic properties in the waveguide's active volume. These changes include line broadening and shifting as well as a clear luminescence quenching, which were attributed to the strong structural modifications induced by the high-dose proton implantation.