Fabrication and thermal optimization of H+-implanted k9 glass waveguides.

The k9 glass emerges as the promising host for the waveguide formation, owing to its unique optical properties. Ion implantation is a powerful technique for the fabrication of optical waveguides. In this work, the 400-keV proton implantation at a dose of 8. 0 × 1 0 1 6   ions/cm 2 was performed on the k9 glass to manufacture optical waveguide. Continuous annealing treatment at intervals of 5 0 ∘ C was used to enhance the guiding performances of the waveguide. The dark-mode spectrum and the refractive index profile of the waveguide were obtained by a prism coupling system and a reflectivity calculation method, respectively. The near-filed intensity distribution was measured by an end-face coupling equipment. The results suggest that the light field can be confined within the waveguide layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]