Electro-optic properties of singly and doubly doped lithium niobate crystal by rare earth elements for optoelectronic and laser applications

Nune Mkhitaryan (1, 2) , Jean Zaraket (2) , Ninel Kokanyan (2) , Edvard Kokanyan (1) , Michel Aillerie (2)

1 Institute for Physical Researches
2 LMOPS - Laboratoire Matériaux Optiques, Photonique et Systèmes

Congruent lithium niobate (LN) doped with rare-earth elements is a promising host for integrated optic combining the properties straightforwardly associated to the dopant with the good electro-optic (EO) properties. By direct technique based on interferometric optical arrangement at a wavelength of 633 nm and at room temperature, we have experimentally determined the figure of merit F = n 3 r eff , (n is the refractive index and r eff , the effective EO coefficient) and finally calculated the EO coefficients r eff of the third-column of the unclamped EO tensor of three series of singly doped LN with Yb 3+ , Ho 3+ , Tm 3+ and two series of doubly doped Er 3+-Yb 3+. It is found that in all the studied opto-geometric configurations, the unclamped figure of merit and consequently the corresponding EO coefficients are relatively constant in the considered dopant concentration range. As the figure of merit, F qualifies crystals for EO modulation and laser applications, all reported results confirm that the LN singly or doubly doped with rare-earth elements are very promising versatile candidates for several multifunctional nonlinear devices in optoelectronic and laser applications.

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]; Optique [physics.optics]

Nune Mkhitaryan, Jean Zaraket, Ninel Kokanyan, Edvard Kokanyan, Michel Aillerie. Electro-optic properties of singly and doubly doped lithium niobate crystal by rare earth elements for optoelectronic and laser applications. European Physical Journal: Applied Physics, 2019, 85 (3), pp.30502. ⟨10.1051/epjap/2019180317⟩. ⟨hal-02138754⟩