Erbium incorporation in LiNbO3 crystals obtained by ion-exchange process

Erbium local doping of LiNbO3 single crystal by the ion-exchange has been performed. The role of the process parameters such as exchange time and temperature, crystal cut direction, composition and heating rate of the Er ions liquid source has been investigated by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and micro-lumi- nescence techniques. A theoretical model has been presented for describing the ion-exchange process and has been successfully applied to fit the experimental data. We have demonstrated that the method is suitable for Er-doping of LiNbO3 crystals, with the possibility of tailoring the optical performances of the material through the preparation parameters.