Swift carbon ion irradiated Nd:YAG ceramic optical waveguide amplifier

A high-gain optical waveguide amplifier has been realized in a channel waveguide platform of Nd:YAG ceramic produced by swift carbon ion irradiation with metal masking. The waveguide is single mode at wavelength of 810 and 1064 nm, and with the enhanced fluorescence intensity at around 1064 nm due to the Nd3+ ion emissions. In conjunction with the low propagation loss of the waveguide, about 26.3 dB/cm of the small signal gain at 1064 nm is achieved with an 18 ns pulse laser as the seeder under the 810-nm laser excitation. This work suggests the carbon ion irradiated Nd:YAG waveguides could serve as efficient integrated amplifiers for the signal amplification.