Nd3+-doped ion-exchanged aluminum germanate glass channel waveguide

K+-Na+ ion-exchanged channel waveguide has been fabricated in Nd3+ doped aluminum germanate (NMAG) glasses with potential photosensitive property. The channel waveguide exhibits single mode at 1.3 mu m and the mode field diameters were measured to be horizontally 10.1 mu m and vertically 5.3 mu m, respectively. Amplified spontaneous emissions (ASE) of 905, 1060, 1334 and similar to 816nm originating from the F-4(3/2) level were recorded under similar to 800nm diode laser pumping and the maximum stimulated emission cross-sections for the F-4(3/2)-> I-4(11/2) and F-4(3/2)-> I-4(13/2) transitions are derived to be 21.5 x 10(-21) and 7.6 x 10(-21)cm(2), respectively. In addition, with 71.8% quantum efficiency and the largest emission intensity among various Nd3+ doping cases, 2wt% Nd2O3 is considered as the optimized doping concentration for the compact channel waveguide. The ion-exchanged Nd3+-doped NMAG glass channel waveguides offer favorable prospects for the development of optical waveguide amplifiers, broadband light sources and infrared UV-written grating waveguide lasers. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America