ABSTRACTThe influence of ion beam induced lattice damage on the refractive indices is evaluated for He+ implanted planar waveguides in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) and potassium niobate (KNbO3 ). KNbO3 exhibits a higher sensitivity for ion beam induced refractive index alterations. In order to suppress leaky modes, varying angle implantation has been applied. The annealing of electronic damage in both crystals is compared. While it requires heating up to 200°C for LiNbO3, the electronic damage in KNbO3 has been found to anneal at much lower temperatures. Annealing takes place even at room temparature, the electronic damage vanishes almost completely within 100 days.
