Planar Waveguides in γ-LiAlO2 With Ion Implantation: Light Being Facilely Propagated

With a characteristic broad transmission range from ultraviolet to infrared, tetragonal γ-LiAlO
₂
crystal has promising advantages in optical applications. In this paper, we applied z-cut and x-cut γ-LiAlO
₂
single crystals to fabricate planar optical waveguides through 6.0 MeV C ions implantation. Waveguides of typical barrier type and well + barrier type were formed at fluences from 5 × 10
¹⁴
to 1 × 10
¹⁵
ions/cm
₂
and of 3 × 10
¹⁵
ions/cm
₂
, respectively. Light at 633 nm was easily coupled out of the end-face of the formed waveguides, and excited monomode and two modes in the barrier type and the well + barrier type, respectively. Light at 1539 nm could be propagated in well + barrier type waveguides. The implantation changed the absorption of γ-LiAlO
₂
in ultraviolet band.