New Oxide Crystals for Solid State Lasers
TL;DR: In this paper, rare earth doped scandia and yttria have been grown from rhenium crucibles by the Czochralski technique, to the best of our knowledge.
Abstract: Rare earth doped scandia and yttria have been grown from rhenium crucibles by the Czochralski technique - to our knowledge for the first time. Spectroscopic data of Yb:Sc 2 O 3 are presented in detail and first laser experiments are reported. Despite the rather high crystal losses of about 2 % a slope efficiency of 37 % was obtained under diode pumping.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: Transparent polycrystalline ceramics have found various applications, such as laser hosts, infrared windows/domes, lamp envelopes and transparent armors, due mainly to their processing flexibility in fabricating items with large sizes and complex shapes and more importantly costeffectiveness as mentioned in this paper.
453 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a systematic study of charge transfer (CT) luminescence from Yb3+ is presented, where the authors investigated the influence of the size of the host lattice cation site on the charge transfer luminance.
323 citations
Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute1, Chinese Academy of Sciences2, Nanyang Technological University3, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology4, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics5, Xi'an Jiaotong University6, Anhui University of Science and Technology7, Jiangsu Normal University8, Centre national de la recherche scientifique9
TL;DR: Transparent ceramics have various potential applications such as infrared windows/domes, lamp envelopes, opto-electric components/devices, composite armors, and screens for smartphones as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Transparent ceramics have various potential applications such as infrared (IR) windows/domes, lamp envelopes, opto-electric components/devices, composite armors, and screens for smartphones and they can be used as host materials for solid-state lasers. Transparent ceramics were initially developed to replace single crystals because of their simple processing route, variability in composition, high yield productivity, and shape control, among other factors. Optical transparency is one of the most important properties of transparent ceramics. In order to achieve transparency, ceramics must have highly symmetric crystal structures; therefore, the majority of the transparent ceramics have cubic structures, while tetragonal and hexagonal structures have also been reported in the open literature. Moreover, the optical transparency of ceramics is determined by their purity and density; the production of high-purity ceramics requires high-purity starting materials, and the production of high-density ceramics requires sophisticated sintering techniques and optimized sintering aids. Furthermore, specific mechanical properties are required for some applications, such as window materials and composite armor. This review aims to summarize recent progress in the fabrication and application of various transparent ceramics.
187 citations
TL;DR: These are the highest values in terms of slope efficiency as well as optical-to-optical efficiency for an Yb-doped thin disk laser reported so far.
Abstract: We report on efficient laser operation of high quality crystalline Yb3+:Lu2O3 in thin disk configuration. Using doping concentrations between 1 at.% to 3 at.% and disk thicknesses between 0.08mm and 0.45mm the optimum crystal parameters have been determined. Pumped at 976 nm the laser operates at 1034 nm and 1080 nm. With a 0.25mm thick 3 at.% Yb:Lu2O3 disk 32.6W of output power at 45.3W incident pump power with a slope efficiency of 80% and a resulting optical-to-optical efficiency of 72% have been realized. These are the highest values in terms of slope efficiency as well as optical-to-optical efficiency for an Yb-doped thin disk laser reported so far. Using an 1mm birefringent filter continuous tuning from 987 nm to 1127 nm with more than 10Wof output power over a tuning range of 90 nm has been achieved.
154 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the latest progress on diode pumped highly efficient high-power solid-state lasers based on rare-earth doped sesquioxides, including different mixed sesqioxides with a + b + c = 1 is reviewed.
Abstract: Sesquioxides combine excellent thermomechanical properties, comparably low phonon energies and a strong crystal field, making them ideally suited for broad band emitting high power laser materials in the infrared and mid-infrared spectral range. In this paper, the latest progress on diode pumped highly efficient high-power solid-state lasers based on rare-earth doped sesquioxides, Lu
2
O
3
, Sc
2
O
3
, and Y
2
O
3
, as well as different mixed sesquioxides (Lu
a
Sc
b
Y
c
)
2
O
3
with a + b + c = 1 is reviewed. While Yb
3+
-doped sesquioxides allow for record high efficiencies at several 100 W of output power in continuous wave operation and record high average powers in pulsed mode in the 1-μm spectral range, Tm
3+
- and Ho 3+
-doped sesquioxides enable efficient broad band laser operation and ultrashort pulse duration around 2 μm. Finally, Er
3+
-doped sesquioxides enabled the highest efficiencies and output powers demonstrated so far at room temperature in the mid-infrared range at 3 μm.
151 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: In this paper, the thermal diffusivities of YAG and Y2O3 have been calculated using a steady heat flow (SHF) method, and the densities of these crystals and of LaF3:Nd3+ have been determined using x-ray methods.
Abstract: The thermal conductivities of Y2O3, Y2O3:Nd3+, Y3Al5O12:Nd3+, and LaF3 have been measured from 77°–300°K by a steady‐heat‐flow method. The densities of these crystals and of LaF3:Nd3+ have been determined in the same temperature range, using x‐ray methods. Using this information and specific heat data from a variety of sources, the thermal diffusivities of these materials have been calculated. Although the diffusivity of pure yttrium oxide is somewhat higher than that of pure yttrium aluminum garnet, introduction of about 1 mole % of neodymium into both these compounds leads to crystals with diffusivities approximating that of undoped YAG. The diffusivity of doped yttrium oxide and YAG (about 0.05–0.06 cm2/sec at room temperature) is about three times that found for undoped lanthanum fluoride. The relative ease with which heat may be removed from Nd‐doped Y2O3 and YAG suggests their use in lasers to diminish time variations in the width of the beam.
228 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the use of CO2-N2-He gas lasers as a heat source in a floating-zone recrystallisation technique of crystal growth is described, and the problems associated with this technique are reviewed.
Abstract: The use of CO2-N2-He gas lasers as a heat source in a floating-zone recrystallisation technique of crystal growth is described. So far, single crystals of Y2O3, CaZrO3, MgAl2O4 and Al2O3 have been grown in this manner and factors controlling their quality are discussed. The problems associated with this technique of crystal growth are reviewed.
66 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG) station to pull single-crystal fibers of solid-state-laser and IR-upconverting materials.
41 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, Scandium oxide crystals were grown from their solution in the PbO-PbF2-V2O5 flux system both by spontaneous nucleation during slow cooling and by solvent evaporation.
25 citations