Neodymium-complex-doped steady-state polymer waveguide lasers

Channel waveguides based on a polymer, 6-fluorinated-dianhydride/epoxy, which is actively doped with a rare-earth-ion-doped complex, Nd(thenoyltrifluoroacetone)3 1,10-phenanthroline, have been fabricated. Luminescence and loss spectra of the channel waveguides have been experimentally investigated. By optimization of the fabrication procedure of both, host material and optical structure, steady-state laser emission has been demonstrated from a channel waveguide near 1060 nm, which provides up to 440 µW of output power from the waveguide structures developed.