All-ceramic channel waveguides fabricated via 3D printing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Laser Technology

Background:

• Transparent ceramics offer unique properties for optical applications.
• Fabricating integrated optical components like channel waveguides in ceramics is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for fabricating all-ceramic channel waveguides (CWGs) in Yb:YAG transparent ceramics.
• To demonstrate the laser performance of these CWGs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized direct ink write (DIW) additive manufacturing.
• Extruded Yb:YAG nanoparticle-loaded ink filaments into undoped YAG substrates to form CWGs with undoped cladding.
• Performed elemental mapping, optical characterization, and laser testing.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated all-ceramic CWGs in Yb:YAG transparent ceramics via DIW.
• Achieved low cladding scatter losses (<1.3%/cm at 1.3 µm).
• Demonstrated efficient lasing at 1030 nm with a slope efficiency of 61% and roundtrip loss of 12.4%.

Conclusions:

• Direct ink write (DIW) is a viable and promising technique for fabricating high-performance channel waveguides in transparent ceramics.
• This advancement opens new possibilities for integrated ceramic-based optical devices.