The optical amplifier performance of Nd3+-doped polymer and amorphous Al2O3 channel waveguides with single-mode and multi-mode behavior around 880 nm is compared. Internal net gain in the wavelength range 865-930 nm is
investigated under continuous-wave excitation near 800 nm, for Nd3+ dopant concentrations typically in the range of 0.6-
1.0 × 1020 cm-3. A peak gain of 2.8 dB at 873 nm is obtained in a 1.9-cm-long polymer waveguide at a launched pump
power of 25 mW. The small-signal gain measured in a 1-cm-long sample is 2.0 dB/cm. In Al2O3, a peak gain of 1.57
dB/cm in a short and 3.0 dB in a 4.1-cm-long waveguide is obtained at 880 nm. Tapered multi-mode Nd3+-doped
amplifiers are embedded into an optical backplane and a maximum 0.21 dB net gain is demonstrated in a structure
consisting of an Al2O3:Nd3+ amplifier placed between two passive polymer waveguides on an optical backplane. The
gain can be further enhanced by increasing the pump power and improving the waveguide geometry, and the wavelength
of amplification can be adjusted by doping other rare-earth ions.
Fluorinated Epoxy waveguides doped with Nd complexes have been studied for optical amplification applications. The
fluorescent complex was Nd(TTA)3phen (TTA = thenoyltrifluoroacetone, phen = 1, 10-phenanthroline), which was
mixed with the host material 6-FDA (6-fluorinated-dianhydride ). The solution was spin coated in order to obtain
Nd(TTA)3phen-doped 6-FDA/epoxy slab and channel waveguides. The emission spectra of the Nd-complex doped
waveguides were measured at different pump powers by pumping at 800nm, and emission was observed at 890nm,
1060nm and 1330nm. The luminescence lifetime of the Nd complex within the waveguides was experimentally
determined. The results demonstrate that the neodymium ions within the polymer host have good transition properties.
Based on experimentally obtained parameters the optical gain of the Nd-complex doped waveguides was estimated with
the aid of rate equations. The results show that Nd complex doped polymer waveguides are promising gain media for
optical amplification.
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