Vapor Deposited Cr-doped ZnS Thin Films: Towards Optically Pumped Mid-Infrared Waveguide Lasers

Authors

Eric A. Karhu, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Charles R. Ildstad, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Stefano Poggio, Dartmouth College
Vedran Furtula, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Nikolai Tolstik, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Irina T. Sorokina, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Joseph J. Belbruno, Dartmouth CollegeFollow
Ursula J. Gibson, Dartmouth CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Publication Title

Optical Materials Express

Department

Department of Chemistry

Abstract

Compact, affordable mid-IR lasers require the development of gain materials in waveguide form. We report on the high vacuum deposition of Cr:ZnS films with concentration ranging from 10¹⁸-10²⁰ dopants/cm³ . At low concentrations, films display well-isolated absorption associated with substitutional Cr²⁺ ions in the lattice. Spatial modulation of the dopant concentration suppresses the absorption associated with this substitution. Lateral crystallite sizes less than 30 nm are associated with the lowest substrate temperatures (<50 °C) used during deposition, and waveguide losses as low as 8dB/cm are observed. These materials are promising candidates as gain media for fabrication of waveguide mid-IR lasers.

DOI

10.1364/OME.6.002947

Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation

Karhu, Eric A.; Ildstad, Charles R.; Poggio, Stefano; Furtula, Vedran; Tolstik, Nikolai; Sorokina, Irina T.; Belbruno, Joseph J.; and Gibson, Ursula J., "Vapor Deposited Cr-doped ZnS Thin Films: Towards Optically Pumped Mid-Infrared Waveguide Lasers" (2016). Dartmouth Scholarship. 3532.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/facoa/3532