Near-infrared lasing and tunable upconversion from femtosecond laser inscribed Nd,Gd:CaF_(2)waveguides

Optical channel waveguides with depressed cladding configurations have been produced in Nd,Gd∶CaF_(2)laser crystals by using ultrafast laser inscription.Waveguide properties are investigated in terms of guiding behaviors and localized laserinduced lattice damages.Under an optical pump of 808 nm light,continuous-wave waveguide lasing at 1.06μm is achieved,with a single-mode operation and a minimum lasing threshold of 98.8 m W.Furthermore,the visible emissions of Nd^(3+)with short wavelengths ranging from 415 nm to 550 nm and long wavelengths from 550 nm to 625 nm are observed upon 808 nm laser excitation via the up-converted process.The intensity ratios of two wavelength ranges are proved to be tunable through changing the pumping polarizations.