Planar optical waveguides produced by ion exchange on the basis of niobium-phosphate glass

For the first time the possibility of production of planar optical waveguides on the basis of niobium-phosphate glass was shown. The waveguides were produced by method of low temperature ion exchange of Na+(glass)⇔K+(melt) in treatment in KNO3 salt melt. Increase in refractive index and formation of waveguide layer are conditioned by action of diffusion stresses. The waveguides on niobium-phosphate glass possess high anisotropy of refractive index (30×10-4). The losses of the waveguides on wave length 0.63 μm aren't more than 0.5 dB/cm. The investigation into colouring of waveguides on the niobium-phosphate glasses under the action of electric field showed that K+-diffusion waveguides possessed electronic effect in the order less than in initial sodium-niobium-phosphate glass.