The formation and characterization of optical waveguide in Nd:YLF crystal by 4.5-MeV Si ion implantation

The planar waveguides have been fabricated in Nd:YLF crystals by Si implantation. The guiding properties of Si-implanted waveguide are evaluated by the prism-coupling technique and reflectivity calculation method (RCM), exhibiting good confinement and monomode behavior at 632.8 nm. The investigation of the photoluminescence (PL) measurement demonstrates that the luminescence characteristics of the Nd3+ ions are not significantly altered by the Si ions irradiation process, whereas the up-conversion (UC) luminescence intensity can be effectively improved. Based on the pump-power-dependent fluorescence, the possible emission mechanism in Nd:YLF is proposed.