Photorefractive-damage-resistant Zn-diffused waveguides in MgO:LiNbO(3)

Planar waveguides were fabricated by diffusing Zn into MgO:LiNbO(3) and LiNbO(3). Zn-diffused waveguides in MgO:LiNbO(3) guide both the ordinary and extraordinary polarization and have propagation losses at 633 nm in the range of 0.4-1.2 dB/cm. Single-beam-induced in-plane scattering due to photorefractive damage was not observed at 515 nm up to intensities of as much as 90 kW/cm(2).