NOVEL FABRICATION PROCESS OF PLANAR WAVE-GUIDES IN RARE-EARTH-DOPED FLUOROINDATE GLASSES

We report the successful fabrication of planar waveguides in rare-eart h doped fluoroindate glass substrates. A new procedure for waveguide f abrication using a thermally evaporated AgF nonmetallic film was devel oped. The refractive index changes of more than 0.03, associated to lo w propagation losses achieved, open new perspectives and show the pote ntiality of using this glass family toward further developments in fab rication and design of integrated optical devices for optical communic ation wavelengths. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.