Growth and fabrication of GaN/Er:GaN/GaN core-cladding planar waveguides
Abstract
Erbium doped gallium nitride (Er:GaN) bulk crystals have emerged as a promising optical gain material for high energy lasers (HELs) operating at the 1.5 μm “retina-safe” spectral region. Among the many designs of HEL gain medium, the core-cladding planar waveguide (PWG) structure is highly desired due to its abilities to provide excellent optical confinement and heat dissipation. We report the realization of a GaN/Er:GaN/GaN core-cladding PWG structure synthesized by hydride vapor phase epitaxy and processed by mechanical and chemical-mechanical polishing. An Er doping concentration of [Er] = 3 × 1019 atoms/cm3 has been attained in the core layer, as confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements. A strong 1.54 μm emission line was detected from the structure under 980 nm resonant excitation. It was shown that these PWGs can achieve a 96% optical confinement in the Er:GaN core layer having a thickness of 50 μm and [Er] = 3 × 1019 atoms/cm3. This work represents an important step toward the realization of practical Er:GaN gain medium for retina-safe HEL applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 03, 2019
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.5093942
Entities
People
- Hongxing Jiang
- Jing Li
- Jingyu Lin
- T. B. Smith
- W. P. Zhao
- Y. Q. Yan
- Zhenyu Sun
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research Global
- Texas Tech University