Abstract

Optical amplification has been demonstrated in waveguides fabricated in Nd-doped LiNbO₃ grown from a melt¹ and in planar diffused Er: LiNbO₃.² Such substrates are, however, not compatible with guided wave integrated optics since absorption will occur in every section of the waveguide which is not optically pumped to transparency. Lateral confinement of the gain medium is also necessary to avoid absorption of the evanescent field. We report a method for local incorporation of Er³⁺ which significantly enhances the diffusivity of the rare earth ion and is compatible with standard Ti: LiNbO₃ photolithographic processing.

© 1992 Optical Society of America