Optical waveguides in Nd:YVO4 crystals by multi-implants with protons and helium ions

This work reports the formation of planar waveguides by proton and helium implantation in Nd:YVO4. Double and triple implants were realised using energies between 0.4 MeV and 1.75 MeV and doses around 1016 ions/cm2, thus generating wide barriers; in particular a double waveguide was generated with a triple implantation. The analysis includes refractive index profiles, spectroscopic properties and near field imaging.