Guiding properties of proton-implanted Nd³⁺-doped phosphate glass waveguides

We report on the fabrication and properties of an optical waveguide in Nd³⁺-doped phosphate glass. The planar waveguide was obtained by 550-keV proton implantation with a dose of 8.0×10¹⁶ ions/cm². The proton-glass interaction was simulated by the stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM software). The characteristics of the waveguide including the refractive index profile and the near-field intensity distribution were studied by the reflectivity calculation method and the end-face coupling technique. The optical waveguide demonstrated multi-mode behavior at the wavelength of 632.8 nm. The propagation features of the proton-implanted Nd³⁺-doped phosphate glass waveguide shows its potential to operate as an integrated photonic device.