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Laser radiation is used both for the deposition of the laser active thin films and for the microstructuring to define wave guiding structures for the fabrication of waveguide lasers. Thin films of Er:ZBLAN (a fluoride glass consisting of ZrF 4 , BaF 2 , LaF 3 , AlF 3 , NaF, ErF 3 ) for green up-conversion lasers (545 nm) are produced by pulsed laser deposition using ArF excimer laser radiation (wavelength 193 nm). Manufacturing of the laser active waveguides by microstructuring is done using fs-laser ablation of the deposited films. The structural and optical properties of the films and the damping losses of the structured waveguides are determined in view of the design and the fabrication of compact and efficient diode pumped waveguide lasers. The resulting waveguides are polished, provided with resonator mirrors, pumped using diode lasers and characterized.

Laser radiation is used both for the deposition of the laser active thin films and for the micro structuring to define wave guiding structures for the fabrication of waveguide lasers. Thin films of crystalline and amorphous neodymium doped Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 are grown on single crystal yttrium aluminium garnet by pulsed laser deposition using excimer laser radiation. Manufacturing of the laser active waveguides by micro structuring is done using femtosecond laser ablation of the deposited films. The structural and optical properties of the films and the morphology of the structured waveguides are determined in view of the design and the fabrication of compact and efficient diode pumped waveguide lasers. The resulting waveguides are polished, provided with resonator mirrors, pumped using diode lasers and the waveguide lasers are characterized. The spectroscopic properties of the amorphous waveguide are investigated and an infrared waveguide laser is demonstrated. To our knowledge, there have been no reports by other groups of the successful operation of a structured waveguide laser fabricated by this technique or of a waveguide laser made from amorphous neodymium doped Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 .

The fabrication by physical vapor deposition (PVD) of Er/Ce-doped fluoride glass channel waveguides using low cost silica on silicon (SiO 2 /Si) engraved cleavable substrates was demonstrated. The mean composition of the deposited glass was 38PbF 2 –19ZnF 2 –43GaF 3 in mol% with Er and Ce concentrations fixed at 1 mol%. The channel waveguides with cross-sectional dimensions 3 × 2 μm 2 were single-mode at 0.63 μm. Propagation losses of less than 0.5 dB/cm and loss reduction of 3.3 dB/cm were measured at 1.535 μm in a 3.2 cm long waveguide with an absorbed power of about 3 mW at 0.98 μm.

International audience; We report the first hollow core photonic crystal fibers (HC PCF) in chalcogenide glass. To design the required HC PCF profiles for such high index glass, we use both band diagram analysis to define the required photonic bandgap and numerical simulations of finite size HC PCFs to compute the guiding losses. The material losses have also been taken into account to compute the overall losses of the HC PCF profiles. These fibers were fabricated by the stack and draw technique from Te20As30Se50 (TAS) glass. The fibers we drew in this work are composed of six rings of holes and regular microstructures. Two profiles are presented, one is known as a kagome lattice and the other one corresponds to a triangular lattice. Geometrical parameters are compared to the expected parameters obtained by computation. Applications of such fibers include power delivery or fiber sensors among others.

Pulsed laser radiation of a KrF excimer laser was used for the deposition of thin Nd 3+ doped Gd3Ga5O12 (Nd:GGG) films on yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) and sapphire single crystal substrates. By variation of PLD-parameters such as temperature and processing gas pressure, amorphous and single crystalline thin films were produced. The morphology and the composition of the grown films were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Thickness and structural properties of the deposited films were determined by optical reflection spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The optical properties of grown films on different substrates were compared. An amorphous Nd:Gd3Ga5O12 thin film on yttrium aluminium garnet was used for demonstration of an infrared waveguide laser. A planar wave guiding structure was formed in deposited film between two parallel grooves micromachined using laser radiation delivered by a femtosecond CPA-Laser-System. The resulting waveguides were polished and provided with resonator mirrors. With a 5% output coupler at 1064 nm, a laser threshold of 1080 mW and 0.2% slope efficiency were obtained.

Laser radiation is used both for the deposition of the laser ac tive thin films and for the micro structuring to define wave guiding structures for the fabrication of waveguide lasers. Thin films of Er:ZBLAN (a glass consisting of ZrF 4 , BaF 2 , LaF 3 , AlF 3 , NaF, ErF 3 ) for green up-conversion lasers (545 nm), Nd:YAG (Y 3 Al 5 O 12 ) and Nd:GGG (Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 ) for infrared lasers (1064 nm) are produced. Manufacturing of the laser active waveguides by micro-structuring is done using fs laser ablation of the deposited films. The structural and optical properties of the films and the damping losses of the structured waveguides are determined in view of the design and the fabrication of compact and efficient diode pumped waveguide lasers. The resulting waveguides are polishe d, provided with resonator mirrors, pumped using diode lasers and characterized. Laser operation of a ridge waveguide structure grown by pulsed laser deposition and structured by fs laser ablation is demonstrated. A 1 µm thick, 100 µm wide and 3 mm long structured waveguide consisting of amorphous neodymium-doped Gd

Waveguide lasers are manufactured using laser radiation for the deposition of thin films and the micro structuring of the wave guiding structures. For the first time laser activity in fs-laser structured amorphous waveguides was achieved.

The latest results on the preparation and characterization of Er3+-doped fluoride glass channel waveguides are presented. The waveguides are prepared by means of ion exchange between fluoride and chloride ions, through a silica mask, on ZBLA (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3) fluoride glass substrate. Single mode propagation is demonstrated at 1.55 μm for a 10-mm long, 5-μm wide waveguide. Propagation losses are found to be not greater than 0.28 dB/cm. An "on/off' gain of 3.9 dB is measured at the output of a 1% Er3+-4% Ce3+-doped fluoride waveguide, with about 240 mW incident pump power at 980 nm. Modelisation studies show that net gain could be achieved in (Er3+, Ce3+) doubly-doped and (Er3+, Ce3+, Yb3+) triply doped fluoride waveguides.

International audience; We have studied Er3+, Yb3+, and Ce3+ codoped microchannel waveguides that were developed by two methods: ionic exchange for heavy metal fluoride glasses [ZrF4-BaF2-AlF3-CeF3 (ZBAC)] and vapor phase deposition for transition metal fluoride glasses [PbF2-ZnF2-GaF3 (PZG)] by using a double-pass technique. For the first time to our knowledge, the measurement of propagation losses and amplification tests were carried out by use of the same experimental setup, leading to complete characterization of the waveguides. Net gains higher than 1 dB/cm were achieved in ZBAC Er/Ce single-mode fluoride glass waveguides.

The luminescence of rare earth ions Re 3+ = Pr 3+ , Er 3+ , and Tm 3 in PZG fluoride glass (36PbF 2 -24ZnF 2 -35GaF 3 -5YF 3 -2AlF 3 in mol%) doped with ReCl 3 was investigated. This study was initiated in the perspective of realizing by vapor phase deposition (PVD) rare earth activated fluoride glass channel waveguides acting as integrated optical amplifiers, ReCl 3 being more volatile than the fluoride counterpart. The results were compared to the spectroscopic properties of ReF 3 -doped PZG glasses. For phonon-sensitive radiative transitions, the lifetime was prolonged at low ReCl 3 concentration because of phonon energy and/or electron coupling are reduced. For Pr 3+ , the doping with PrCl 3 increases the lifetime by 50% in respect to PrF 3 doping. These results suggest that the chlorine ions remain in the coordination sphere of the rare earth ions in the ReCl 3 -doped glass after melting. The luminescence decay of Er 3+ : 4 I 13/2 level in ErCl 3 -doped channel waveguides is also discussed.