Low-loss waveguides in ultrafast laser-deposited As₂S ₃ chalcogenide films

Ultrafast pulsed laser deposition was used to successfully deposit atomically smooth 5-μm-thick As₂S₃ films. The as-deposited films were photosensitive at wavelengths close to the band edge (∼520 nm), and waveguides could be directly patterned into them by photodarkening using an argon-ion or frequency-doubled NdiYAG laser. The linear and nonlinear optical properties of the films were measured as well as the photosensitivity of the material. The optical losses in photodarkened waveguides were <0.2 dB/cm at wavelengths beyond 1200 nm and <0.1 dB/cm in as-deposited films. The third-order nonlinearity, n_2,As2s3 was measured using both four-wave mixing and the Z-scan technique and varied with wavelength from 100 to 200 times fused silica (n_2,silica ≈ 3 × 10^-16cm²/W) between 1500 nm and 1100 nm with low nonlinear absorption.