Properties of waveguides manufactured with fs-laser pulses in transparent materials

Summary form only given. Waveguides for integrated optical applications are usually made by indiffusion of ions into crystalline materials or glasses. However, the generation of three-dimensional or buried structures is hard to achieve. Moreover, the indiffusion process is limited to a few special materials. These problems can be overcome by laser generation of waveguides. When ultrashort laser pulses are tightly focused inside optical transparent bulk materials, local structural changes, and in consequence a permanent refractive index gradient, are created. When the sample is positioned with respect to the laser beam, a refractive index profile as in a buried waveguide can be produced. This direct writing method offers the potential for the generation of three-dimensional waveguide structures and allows integrated optics in different materials. In this presentation, we discuss the properties of waveguides produced in various glasses and crystals and their dependence on the production laser parameters like wavelength, pulse energy and polarization.