We report on the fabrication of waveguides in fused silica using 4.5-MeV nitrogen ion implantation with a fluence of 5.0×1014  ions/cm25.0×1014  ions/cm2. The prism-coupling method was employed to measure the effective refractive indices of guiding modes at the wavelengths of 632.8 and 1539 nm. The effective refractive indices of the first few modes were higher than that of the substrate. The refractive index profiles at 632.8 and 1539 nm were reconstructed by the reflectivity calculation method. Positive index changes were induced in the waveguide layers. The end-face coupling method was used to measure the near-field light intensity distributions at the wavelength of 632.8 nm and the finite-difference beam propagation method was applied to simulate the guided mode profile at the wavelength of 1539 nm. The waveguide structures emerge as candidates for integrated photonic devices.

Opt. Eng. 55(2), 027105 (Feb 18, 2016). doi:10.1117/1.OE.55.2.027105