Transparent polycrystalline strontium titanate (STO) and lanthanum-modified lead zirconium titanate (PLZT) thin films were deposited, respectively, on Si and on indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). PLZT films are shown to exhibit electro-optic properties close to the bulk material when deposited on ITO in specific process conditions. The refractive index depth profile was determined by using a combination of variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and spectrophotometry, and the multisample analysis approach. PLZT films deposited at high O-2 pressure, P-O2, and annealed at 700 degrees C were found to be more porous and inhomogeneous than low P-O2 films. The optical properties of STO films strongly depend on P-O2 as well: low P-O2 depositions lead to denser film growth with homogeneous, bulk-like refractive index profile, while high P-O2 depositions lead to porous and highly inhomogeneous films, exhibiting band-gap variation and formation of a 60-nm-thick interdiffusion layer on Si. We use an optical depth-profiling procedure to investigate the formation of three-layer air/PLZT/STO/ITO/glass stacks, where the PLZT and STO optical properties are optimized by controlling P-O2 during STO deposition, in order to form a cladding layer for potential active waveguide applications. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.