Abstract

Interest in proton-exchanged LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃ waveguides has recently increased because of reports of stable index profiles, fully restored electro-optic coefficients, low propagation losses, and high optical damage thresholds, which occur either with the use of Li-buffered melts or after post-exchange annealing. Although we know qualitatively that samples should be annealed until they reach a single (α) phase condition, the systems (particularly PE LiTaO₃) are not fully defined in terms of exchange and anneal diffusion coefficients, phase versus composition (LiTaO₃), and index change versus composition. This presentation addresses the dependence of index change versus H concentration for PE LiNbO₃, which has not been published. We also discuss the mechanisms that contribute to the index change.

© 1990 Optical Society of America