Pulsed laser deposition of active waveguides

We report on the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of thin films of chalcogenide and tellurite glasses doped with RE ions. The depositions were performed in vacuum, for chalcogenide films, and in a low oxygen pressure for the tellurite films by using an excimer laser. After the deposition, the morphological, structural, optical and spectroscopical characteristics are analysed by different techniques: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), optical profilometry, m-lines spectroscopy, photoluminescence etc. The experimental results demonstrated that PLD is a suitable technique for the realisation of films of complex materials for optoelectronic and photonic applications. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.