Fabrication of embedded waveguides in lithium-niobate crystals by radiation damage

Irradiation of lithium-niobate crystals (LiNbO3) with fast, high-energy 3He ions changes the refractive index in the interaction region where the ions speed through the material. Thus an inhomogeneous flux density profile can be used for a tailored modification of the optical properties of LiNbO3 crystals, without employing ion implantation. A new method to fabricate embedded, polarization sensitive channel waveguides in LiNbO3 utilizing accelerated 3He ions with an energy of 40 MeV is demonstrated.

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