Laser microfabrication of optical circuits in LiNbO₃

Optical waveguides have been fabricated in x-cut LiNbO3 by direct laser patterning of "spin-on" organometallic inks. The technique has been used to repeatedly and rapidly produce single- and multimode waveguide structures, such as lines, y branches, and couplers. In addition, an entirely laser-delineated Mach-Zehnder interferometric modulator has been fabricated.