Nd-complex-doped polymer channel waveguide laser

Polymer waveguides have emerged as a viable technology for integrated optical devices due to their high packaging density, low cost, capability of integration with other material systems, and ease of fabrication and modification of their chemical structure. This latter property offers enormous flexibility in the design of waveguide laser media. Although laser action has been achieved in many optically pumped organic semiconductor and dye-doped polymer-based waveguides, reports on their rare-doped counterparts are limited to the observation of optical amplification, which was achieved in various Nd, Er, Eu, and Er/Yb doped polymers [1, 2]. Incorporation of rare-earth ions into polymers is challenging due to the immiscibility of their salt precursors with organic solvents. This problem can be overcome by encapsulating the ions with organic ligands to form complexes that can be easily dispersed in polymer solutions [3]. In addition to facilitating doping, the ligands can also function as antenna chromophores sensitizing the ion by intramolecular energy transfer, thereby enhancing the pump efficiency of the waveguide laser. Recently, 2 dB/cm gain at 1060 nm was obtained in channel waveguides using this approach [4]. Here, waveguide laser operation of Nd-complex-doped polymer channel waveguides near 1060 nm is reported, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of a rare-earth-ion-doped polymer waveguide laser.