Optical diagnostic methods for monitoring the poling of thin-film lithium niobate waveguides

Opt Express. 2019 Apr 29;27(9):12025-12038. doi: 10.1364/OE.27.012025.

Abstract

We demonstrate two non-destructive methods of studying the gradual poling of thin-film lithium niobate waveguides by the application of a sequence of high-voltage pulses, and we show the transition from under-poling to over-poling and the identification of the optimal stopping point of the poling process. The first diagnostic method is based on changes in continuous-wave light transmission through a hybrid waveguide as it is gradually poled by using a second set of monitoring electrodes fabricated alongside the principal poling electrodes. The second method is based on confocal back-reflected second-harmonic microscopy by using femtosecond optical probe pulses. The results from the two methods are in agreement with each other and may be useful as non-destructive in situ diagnostic methods for optimized poling of integrated waveguides.