Characterization Of Glass Planar Waveguides Prepared By Copper Ion Exchange Method

Copper-doped planar glass waveguides were prepared by thermal ion exchange technique in molten mixture of copper sulfate and sodium sulfate (molar ratio of 50: 50%) at temperatures of 565-605 degrees C and different diffusion times of 15-30 minutes. The effective indices were measured by means of prism-coupled technique, and the refractive index profiles of the waveguides were reconstructed by IWKB method. The photoluminescence (PL) of the waveguides were studied at room temperature. The broad blue-green emission bands centered 510 nm (at the excitation wavelength of 286 nm) were observed on the waveguides. The refractive index profiles and the blue-green luminescence of the waveguides were strongly influenced by the prepared and annealed processes.