Photonic devices and methods of using and making photonic devices

A method of guiding an optical signal beam in a photonic device, the photonic device comprising a substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and having a first refractive index, at least one dielectric strip disposed within the dielectric layer and having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index, and a gain layer disposed in contact with the dielectric layer and having a third refractive index greater than the first refractive index, the method comprising:

• coupling the optical signal beam into a waveguide region of the gain layer disposed over the at least one dielectric strip so as to guide the optical signal beam in a propagation direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the at least one dielectric strip;
• and
• coupling an optical pump beam into the waveguide region of the gain layer so as to amplify the optical signal beam,
• wherein the optical pump beam has a wavelength of λp and the at least one dielectric strip is disposed a distance of at least λp/4 from a boundary between the dielectric layer and the gain layer.