Polarization behaviour of femtosecond laser written waveguides in lithium niobate

Abstract In this work, we analysed the polarization of guided light in femtosecond laser written waveguides. The studied waveguides were performed with different laser pulse energies in an x-cut lithium niobate crystal. The guided intensities were experimentally measured and compared with numerical simulations reaching a qualitatively good accordance. This comparison allowed a verification of the “mechanical expansion theory” which is useful to compute the refractive index field. Also, information related to the modelling of waveguides generated with different laser pulse energies was obtained. Both of these facts are keys to design and manufacture optical circuits by using this technological approach.