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Zr4+/Ti4+-codoped LiNbO3 plates were prepared by local codiffusion of stacked ZrO2 and Ti metal films coated onto Z-cut congruent LiNbO3 substrates in wet O2 at 1060°C. The metal and oxide films have different thicknesses and coating sequences. After diffusion, the Zr4+ doping effect on the refractive index of LiNbO3 and the Li2O out-diffusion issue were studied by the prism coupling technique. The codiffusion characteristics of Zr4+ and Ti4+ were studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The results show that the Zr4+ doping has little contribution to the refractive index of the crystal. Li2O out-diffusion is not measurable. In the Zr4+-only diffusion case, the diffusivity of Zr4+ is four times smaller than that of Ti4+. In the Zr4+/Ti4+ codiffusion case, the Ti4+ codiffusion assists the Zr4+ diffusion. The Zr4+ diffusivity increases linearly by two more times with the increase in initial Ti film thickness from 0 to 200 nm. On the other hand, the Zr4+ affects the Ti4+ diffusion little. Neither the ZrO2 film thickness nor the coating sequence of Ti metal and ZrO2 oxide films influences the diffusivity of the two ions. All the codiffusion characteristics are explained. A Zr4+/Ti4+ codiffusion model is suggested that consists of two independent diffusion equations with a Zr4+ diffusivity dependent of Ti4+ concentration and a constant Ti4+ diffusivity. In addition, the existence of a waveguide in the Zr4+/Ti4+-codoped layer is verified experimentally, and the optical-damage-resistant feature of the waveguide is verified by two-beam hologram recording experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion properties of Sc3+ in LiNbO3 crystal were studied, together with other two related issues: Sc3+-doping effect on LiNbO3 refractive index and Li2 O out-diffusion arising from Sc3+ in-diffusion. To reach the goal, some Sc3+-doped LiNbO3 crystal plates were prepared by in-diffusion of Sc2 O3 film coated onto Z-cut congruent substrates in air at different temperatures ranging from 1030°C to 1130°C. After diffusion, the refractive indices at the doped and undoped parts of surface were measured by prism coupling technique and the surface composition was evaluated from the measured index. The results show that the Sc3+ doping has little contribution to the substrate index and the Li2 O out-diffusion is not measurable. The Sc3+ profile was analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Some characteristic parameters such as temperature-dependent diffusivity, diffusion constant, activation energy, and surface concentration are obtained. The Sc3+/ Ti4+ co-diffusion characteristics were also studied. Comparison shows that in the single-diffusion case, the Sc3+ diffusivity is considerably smaller than the Ti4+ diffusivity. In the Sc3+/ Ti4+ co-diffusion case, the Ti4+ co-diffusion results in substantial increase in Sc3+ diffusivity while the Ti4+ diffusivity changing little. The diffusion characteristics are qualitatively explained. The Ti4+-assisted Sc3+ diffusion would be utilizable in shortening the fabrication period of an optical-damage-resistant Ti-diffused LiNbO3 waveguide doped with Sc3+, and some considerations for the fabrication are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-diffusion characteristics of Er3+ and Tm3+ ions in LiNbO3 crystal have been studied, together with two other properties: doping effect on refractive index of substrate, and Li out-diffusion. Er3+/ Tm3+-codoped LiNbO3 single-crystals were prepared by co-diffusion of stacked Er- and Tm-metal thin films, coated onto parts of the surfaces of X- and Z-cut congruent LiNbO3 crystal plates, at different temperatures and different durations in air. After diffusion, the surface refractive indices of the doped and undoped parts were measured by prism coupling technique, and the surface composition was evaluated from the measured indices. The results show that the dopings have negligible effect on the substrate index and the Li out-diffusion depends mainly on the diffusion temperature. The Er3+ and Tm3+ profiles were studied using secondary ion mass spectrometry, and a co-diffusion dynamical model is proposed and verified experimentally. From the measured profiles, the temperature-dependent Er3+/ Tm3+ diffusivity and solubility were obtained together with other relevant parameters, such as diffusion constant, activation energy, solubility constant and heat of solution. The Er3+ and Tm3+ co-diffusion exhibits similar temperature dependent diffusivity, and the dependence is similar to that of single-diffusion. In the co-diffusion case, the total solubility consists of two parts: Er3+ and Tm3+ parts, there is no anisotropy, and the value is equal to that of single-diffusion case, in which both ions have the similar solubility. The Er3+ and Tm3+ parts of solubility change relatively with the initial metal film thicknesses and hence have different temperature dependences. Nevertheless, their sum, i.e., the co-diffusion solubility, remains a constant at a given temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion characteristics of Zr4+ in LiNbO3 single-crystal were studied. Zr4+-doped LiNbO3 crystal plates were prepared by in-diffusion of 100 nm thick ZrO2 film coated onto Z-cut congruent substrates in wet O2 at different temperatures. Zr4+-diffused profile was analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The results show that the Zr4+ diffusion follows the traditional diffusion theory. From the measured profiles, important diffusion parameters are obtained, such as diffusivity and its temperature dependence, diffusion constant, activation energy, surface concentration, and solubility. The Zr4+ has a diffusivity similar to that of Ti4+, implying that the Zr4+ doping and the Ti4+ diffusion can be performed simultaneously to simplify the fabrication process of a photorefractive-damage-resistant Zr4+-doped Ti-diffused LiNbO3 waveguide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]