Abstract

Rare-earth doping of integrated-optic devices fabricated in glass offers the simultaneous incorporation of active and passive components into a material system formerly regarded as being only passive. Previously,¹ we described the operation of optically pumped channel waveguide lasers formed in Nd-doped silicate glass. In those experiments and in the present work the guides were made by k↔Na electric-field-assisted ion exchange. Other reports have appeared describing similar devices made by flame hydrolysis deposition and subsequent consolidation of Nd-doped silica soot.² Waveguide lasers were also made by electric-field-assisted ion exchange from Ag films coated directly on Nd-doped glass.³ In this paper we demonstrate that Nd-doped integrated-optic waveguides can be used as gain elements in extended-cavity mode-locked or Q-switched lasers. Additionally, when using a grating as a feedback element, a cw extended-cavity laser was continuously tuned over 24 nm with a significantly narrowed line.

© 1991 Optical Society of America