Er super(3) super(+)/Yb super(3) super(+)-activated silica-hafnia planar waveguides for photonics fabricated by rf-sputtering

95.8SiO sub(2)-4.2HfO sub(2) planar waveguide activated by 0.2mol% Er and 0.2mol% Yb was fabricated by multi-target rf-sputtering technique. The optical parameters were measured by an m-line apparatus operating at 543.5, 632.8, 1319 and 1542nm. The waveguide compositions were investigated by energy dispersive spectroscopy. The waveguide exhibits a single propagation mode at 1.3 and 1.5km with an attenuation coefficient of 0.2dB/cm at 1.5km. The emission of super(4)I sub(1) sub(3) sub(/) sub(2)-> super(4)I sub(1) sub(5) sub(/) sub(2) transition of Er super(3) super(+) ion, with a 42nm bandwidth was observed upon TE sub(0) mode excitation at 980 and 514.5nm. Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy was used to obtain information about the effective excitation efficiency of Er super(3) super(+) ions by co-doping with Yb super(3) super(+) ions. Channel waveguide in rib configuration were fabricated by wet etching process in the active film.