Direct-UV-written buried channel waveguide lasers in direct-bonded intersubstrate ion-exchanged neodymium-doped germano-borosilicate glass

We report a technique for producing single-mode buried channel waveguide lasers in neodymium-doped SiO₂:GeO₂:B₂O₃:Na₂O (SGBN) glass. Direct bonding forms the basis of this process, providing a buried waveguide layer in the photosensitive SGBN material into which channel confinement can be directly written with a focused UV beam. Characterization of a 7.5-mm-long device was performed using a Ti:Sapphire laser operating at 808 nm and the resultant 1059 nm channel waveguide laser output exhibited single-mode operation, milliwatt-order lasing thresholds, and propagation losses of ≪0.3 dB cm^-1. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.