Liquid-Phase Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of Nd:YAl3(BO3)4 Optical Waveguides

We investigated the fabrication of neodymium doped thin film optical waveguide-based devices as potential active sources for planar integrated optics. Liquid-phase epitaxial growth was used to fabricate neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum borate films on compatible lattice-matched, un-doped yttrium aluminum borate substrates. We observed the refractive index contrast of the doped and un-doped crystal layers via differential interference contrast microscopy. In addition, characterization by X-ray powder diffraction, optical absorption and luminescence spectra demonstrated the crystal quality, uniformity and optical guiding of the resulting thin films.

Liquid-Phase Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of Nd:YAl3(BO3)4 Optical Waveguides

We investigated fabrication of neodymium doped thin film optical waveguide-based devices as potential active sources for planar integrated optics. Liquid-phase epitaxial growth was used to fabricate neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum borate films on compatible lattice-matched un-doped yttrium aluminum borate substrates. We observed the refractive index contrast of the doped and un-doped crystal layers by differential interference contrast microscopy. In addition, characterization by X-ray powder diffraction, optical absorption and luminescence spectra demonstrated the crystal quality and uniformity and optical guiding of the resulting thin films.   

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Cr-=SUP=-3+-=/SUP=- Ions in Single Crystals of Yttrium Aluminum Borate YAl-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=-(BO-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=-)-=SUB=-4-=/SUB=--=SUP=-*-=/SUP=-

Single crystal of yttrium aluminum borate YAl_3(BO_3)_4 doped with chromium ions (1 at %) was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. It is shown that chromium ions introduced into the sample occupy yttrium ion sites in the crystal structure. The parameters of the spin Hamiltonian of Cr^3+ ions in the YАl_3(ВО_3)_4 matrix are determined at different temperatures. The sign of the fine structure parameter D allows the conclusion that the chromium ions in YА1_3(ВО_3)_4 single crystals have an easy-plane anisotropy.