Channel waveguide lasers in bulk Tm:LiYF4 produced by deep diamond-saw dicing

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We report on a novel approach to fabricate channel (ridge) waveguides (WGs) in bulk crystals using precision diamond saw dicing. The channels feature a high depth-to-width aspect ratio (deep dicing). The proof-of-the-concept is shown for a Tm3+:LiYF4 fluoride crystal. Channels with a depth of 200 µm and widths of 10–50 µm are diced and characterized by confocal laser microscopy revealing a r.m.s. roughness of the walls well below 100 nm. The channels obtained possess waveguiding properties at ∼815 nm with almost no leakage of the guided mode having a vertical stripe intensity profile into the bulk crystal volume and relatively low propagation losses (0.20-0.43 dB/cm). Laser operation is achieved in quasi-CW regime by pumping at 780 nm. The maximum peak output power reaches 0.68 W at ∼1.91 µm with a slope efficiency of 53.3% (in σ-polarization). The proposed concept is applicable to a variety of laser crystals with different rare-earth dopants.