Characteristics of laser oscillation in corrugated, leaky optical waveguides

Laser oscillation has been observed on the guided modes of leaky, optical film waveguides by using a light amplifying dye dissolved in the film to provide the gain and backward diffraction from a spatially periodic modulation of the film´s thickness (corrugation) to provide the feedback. One of the phenomena observed is laser oscillation on hybrid guided modes where the feedback is provided by backward intermode diffraction rather than intramode diffraction. Under certain conditions, polarized oscillation on a single waveguide mode is also observed. The technique used to analyze these phenomena will be discussed and comparisons will be made between theory and experiment. Calculated thresholds for laser oscillation in corrugated AlxGa1-xAs structures will also be presented.