Alkaline aluminum phosphate glasses for thermal ion-exchanged optical waveguide

• Ion-exchangeable aluminum phosphate glasses are designed and prepared.
• Effective diffusion coefficient of K+–Na+ ion exchange is 0.110 μm2/min.
• Er3+/Yb3+ doped glass channel waveguide is fabricated and characterized.
• Special signal amplifiers are achievable in Pr3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ doping cases.

Alkaline aluminum phosphate glasses (NMAP) with excellent chemical durability for thermal ion-exchanged optical waveguide have been designed and investigated. The transition temperature Tg (470 °C) is higher than the ion-exchange temperature (390 °C), which is favorable to sustain the stability of the glass structure for planar waveguide fabrication. The effective diffusion coefficient De of K+–Na+ ion exchange in NMAP glasses is 0.110 μm2/min, indicating that ion exchange can be achieved efficiently in the optical glasses. Single-mode channel waveguide has been fabricated on Er3+/Yb3+ doped NMAP glass substrate by standard micro-fabrication and K+–Na+ ion exchange. The mode field diameter is 9.6 μm in the horizontal direction and 6.0 μm in the vertical direction, respectively, indicating an excellent overlap with a standard single-mode fiber. Judd–Ofelt intensity parameter Ω2 is 5.47 × 10−20 cm2, implying a strong asymmetrical and covalent environment around Er3+ in the optical glasses. The full width at half maximum and maximum stimulated emission cross section of the 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 are 30 nm and 6.80 × 10−21 cm2, respectively, demonstrating that the phosphate glasses are potential glass candidates in developing compact optoelectronic devices. Pr3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ doped NMAP glasses are promising candidates to fabricate waveguide amplifiers and lasers operating at special telecommunication windows.