PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AND RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROMETRY STUDY OFION-IMPLANTED ER3-DOPED LINBO3 PLANAR WAVE-GUIDES()

In this work we present a study of Er3+-doped LiNbO3 ion-implanted pla nar waveguides by laser spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spe ctrometry (RBS). RES measurements for both random and channelling cond itions were carried out in order to investigate the crystal quality of the original crystals and their respective waveguides. The angular de pendences of the Nb and Er yields were compared and a non-substitution al fraction of Er3+ ions was found in both the bulk crystal and the wa veguide. Some deterioration of the crystal quality in the waveguide co mpared to that in the bulk was also detected. Laser spectroscopy was u sed to obtain information about the optical properties of the Er3+ ion s within the waveguides and to compare them with the properties of the Er3+ ions in the bulk. The results obtained show that the spectroscop ic properties of the waveguide Er3+ ions are essentially the same as t hose of the Er3+ ions in the bulk, except a slight broadening of the b ands and some changes in the relative intensities.