Nd3+-doped graded index single-mode polymer waveguide amplifier working at 1.06 and 1.32 μm

In this paper, we report a graded index (GRIN) polymer waveguide amplifier working at 1.06 micrometers wavelength using Nd-doped photolime gel as the active medium. Fluorescent spectrum at 1.32 micrometers region was also observed for the first time. The polymer introduced is soluble in water. As a result, the chemical compounds containing rare earth ions (REIs) can be mixed with the host polymer as long as they are hydrophilic. But the doping concentrations should be below the level of microscopic clustering which quenches the active ions. There are other quenchers which shorten the lifetime of metastable states of active ions.