Confocal Luminescence Microscopy Characterization of Optical Waveguides Produced by Ion Beam Irradiation on LiF

Optical waveguides in lithium fluoride (LiF) crystals have been obtained by He+ ion beam irradiation. The waveguides have been characterized by several techniques. In particular, we describe here the application of confocal microscopy to their characterization and show the first results obtained. We have also carried out a preliminary evaluation of the potential of this technique for the assessment of structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the waveguides.