Praseodymium-doped Ti:LiNbO[sub 3] waveguides.

Abstract. The incorporation of praseodymium into LiNbO[sub 3] by diffusion doping is investigated by means of secondary neutral mass spectrometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The diffusion of praseodymium in LiNbO[sub 3] can be described by Fick's laws of diffusion with a concentration-independent diffusion coefficient and a limited solubility of praseodymium in LiNbO[sub 3] increasing exponentially with rising temperature. The diffusion depends on the Li[sub 2]0 content of the LiNbO[sub 3] crystal. For LiNbO[sub 3] crystals with a nominal slight difference in the congruent composition, the diffusion constants and activation energies for Z-cut LiNbO[sub 3] are 3.28 x 10[sup -5] cm[sup 2]/s and 2.27 eV, and 1.39 x 10[sup -5] cm[sup 2]/s and 2.24 eV, respectively. Titanium-doped waveguides are formed in Pr:LiNbO[sub 3] and characterised in relation to waveguide loss and absorption in the visible and near infrared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]