1 kW peak power passively Q-switched Nd(3+)-doped glass integrated waveguide laser

Embedded optical sensors always require more compact, stable, and powerful laser sources. In this Letter, we present a fully integrated passively Q-switched laser, which has been realized by a Ag(+)/Na(+) ion exchange on a Nd(3+)-doped phosphate glass. A BDN-doped cellulose acetate thick film is deposited on the waveguide, acting as an upper cladding and providing a distributed saturable absorption. At λ=1054 nm, the device emits pulses of 1.3 ns FWHM with a repetition rate of 28 kHz. These performances, coupled with the 1 kW peak power, are promising for applications such as supercontinuum generation.     

Realization of single-mode telluride rib waveguides for mid-IR applications between 10 and 20 μm

The feasibility of all-telluride integrated optics devices based on waveguides presenting a single-mode behavior in the spectral range (10-20 μm) is demonstrated. These waveguides are constituted of a several micrometer thick Te(82)Ge(18) film deposited onto a Te(75)Ge(15)Ga(10) bulk glass substrate by thermal coevaporation and further etched by reactive ion etching under the CHF(3)/O(2)/Ar atmosphere. The obtained structures were proven to behave as channel waveguides with a good single-mode transmission over the whole spectral range. These results allowed validating our technological solution for the fabrication of integrated optics modal filters for spatial interferometry.     

Tl ion-exchange borosilicate glass: Investigation of the Tl site by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

We present a first experimental investigation on the Tl site in Tl-doped borosilicate glass by Tl/Na ion-exchange process. The local order around Tl was investigated by the EXAFS spectroscopy on a set of different samples, obtained by varying the composition of the molten salt bath (TlNO₃/NaNO₃ molar ratio from 0.001 to 0.4) and the bath temperature (between 350 °C and 380 °C). We show that after a 1 h exchange, Tl is surrounded by O atoms in the first shell and that the Tl–O distance is sensibly shorter than both the Tl–O distance found in Tl oxides and the typical Na–O distance in a glass. When the exchange process is extended to 1 week, the measured Tl–O distance increases towards the values found in crystalline Tl oxides, suggesting a stress release during longer exchange duration.