All-optical thermal microscopy of laser-excited waveguides

We report on a unique combination of high-resolution confocal microscopy and ratiometric luminescence thermometry to obtain thermal images of 800 nm pumped ultrafast laser-inscribed waveguides in a Nd:YAG crystal. Thermal images evidence a strong localization of thermal load in the waveguide active volume. Comparison between experimental data and numerical simulations reveals that ultrafast laser-inscribed damage tracks in Nd:YAG crystals behave both as low-index and low-thermal conductivity barriers.