Performance studies of directly written high power monolithic ytterbium waveguide oscillators

The use of a scanned femtosecond laser focus to create optical waveguide devices is an established and powerful technique with applications in telecommunications, biotechnology, sensing and quantum information. Using a sub-surface focussed femtosecond laser, a dielectric material can be modified at a highly localised point without surrounding material modification. By controlling the laser-interaction parameters the localised change can result in a permanent positive change in the refractive index of the material thereby forming an optical waveguide device [1].