Abstract

We present our results on optical waveguides formed by thermal diffusion of ions in glass. It was found that the peak of the ion-exchanged region can be shifted into the substrate interior by limiting the diffusion process. We also found that low loss films (<0.1 dB/cm) can be fabricated using this process and that the modal losses in these films do not agree with those losses predicted by existing theories. Also, the ion-exchange process has proved to be a simple means for fabricating tapered-edge couplers.

© 1973 Optical Society of America

Planar waveguides formed by Ag⁺–Na⁺ ion exchange in nonlinear optical glasses: diffusion and optical properties

Marc Martin, Jean J. Videau, Lionel Canioni, Frédéric Adamietz, Laurent Sarger, and Gilles Le Flem
Appl. Opt. 39(3) 435-440 (2000)

Optical behavior of potassium ion-exchanged glass waveguides

S. Iraj Najafi
Appl. Opt. 27(17) 3728-3731 (1988)

Graded-index surface or buried waveguides by ion exchange in glass

G. Chartier, P. Collier, A. Guez, P. Jaussaud, and Y. Won
Appl. Opt. 19(7) 1092-1095 (1980)

K⁺-Na⁺ ion-exchanged waveguides in Er³⁺-Yb³⁺ codoped phosphate glasses using field-assisted annealing

Ke Liu and Edwin Y. B. Pun
Appl. Opt. 43(15) 3179-3184 (2004)

Simulation of tapered transitions in ion-exchanged channel waveguides

Hsing C. Cheng and Ramu V. Ramaswamy
Appl. Opt. 29(8) 1150-1156 (1990)