New technologies for fabrication of waveguiding thin film lasers

The project deals with fabrication of thin layers having waveguiding and/or lasing or other specially properties. Two basic approaches will be studied - (i) deposition of the functional layers on crystalline substrates done by various methods as sol-gelor laser deposition, and (ii) modification of the surfaces of, mainly, crystals as YAG and LiNbO3 etc., using ion exchange and ion implantation. Novelty of the project will be in choice of suitable material of the substrates with carefully designed combinations of active/ waveguide-forming dopants (activators) (ions of f-elements like e.g. Nd, Tb, Er) with sensibilizers (mainly, but not restricted to the ions of d-elements like Cr, Mn). The project will bring information on relations between used materials/applied treatment and resultant properties of the optical active thin films, while design and construction of thin film lasers or waveguiding lasers based on the research done in the project will be practical output of the project.