Abstract: | The present paper is focused on multilayer Er3+-doped silica-titania planar waveguides, co-doped with silver, which were prepared by spin-coating on silica glass, or buffered single crystal silicon substrates. The single layer thickness (0.4 m) and refractive index (1.60–1.63) were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry at 715 nm. The thickness of the waveguides (measured by mechanical profilometry) was 1 m and their optical propagation losses were measured at different laser wavelengths (488 nm, 514 nm and 633 nm), exhibiting an approximately Rayleigh-like behavior. The thermal precipitation of silver nanocrystallites was achieved, both in air and under a controlled atmosphere (dry nitrogen) and these were characterized by visible absorption spectroscopy, which clearly showed the development of a plasmon absorption band near 415 nm, by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The Er3+ metastable level lifetimes for the emission at ca. 1.54 m were found to be ca. 4–6 ms, for Er3+ concentrations varying between 0.2–2.0 mol% (or (0.4–4.4) × 1020 ions/cm3), but no significant variation was observed with the Ag concentration added (up to 2.5 mol%). |