Integrated optical Ti:Er:LiNbO_3 distributed Bragg reflector laser with a fixed photorefractive grating

For the first time to the authors' knowledge, an integrated optical distributed Bragg reflector laser with a fixed photorefractive grating in LiNbO(3) is demonstrated. Sample preparation, grating fabrication, and laser characteristics are reported. The device is pumped by a fiber pigtailed laser diode (lambda(p) approximately 1480 nm) through the Bragg grating in a double-pass configuration, yielding an emission in the backward direction at lambda=1531.7 nm . The laser threshold is 40 mW; as much as 5 mW of output power has been obtained at 110 mW of launched pump power in cw operation.