We report the formation of a planar waveguide in an Nd:YGG laser crystal by low-energy He-ion implantation at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The optical properties are measured by the prism coupling and end-face coupling methods, the absorption properties the waveguide and Nd: YGG substrate are obtained. The fluorescence spectrums are investigated by confocal methods. The experimental results revealed that the planar waveguide preserved the absorption and fluorescence properties of the Nd: YGG laser crystal. Thus, the planar waveguide formed by the ion implantation method is a promising candidate in waveguide lasers. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.