Visible and Near IR Laser Oscillators Using MBE Wavequides.
Abstract
Rare earth doped fluoride single crystal planar and channel waveguides have been prepared using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). They offer the potential for an attractive new class of visible and near infrared laser oscillators and amplifiers, particularly in the configuration described in this work, where the fluoride devices are integrated with a substrate (GaAs) that can carry the required semiconductor diode pump laser. The fluoride layers have been characterized structurally and optically to establish the growth conditions and waveguide dimensions for minimum optical propagation loss. We have demonstrated loss as low as 3.7 db/cm, a value still greater than our target of less than 0.1 to 0.5 db/cm. Infrared driven upconversion leads to visible emission from Erbium and Neodymiumn and has been shown for a number of hosts, the most promising of which is LaF3. The spectroscopy of the active rare earth ions and the dynamics of energy exchange in doubly doped systems has been explored for several important combinations using both rate equation models and a Monte Carlo computation. Current work is directed at detailed structural investigation for a simpler two component structure (active/cladding) to identify the origin of the losses observed (surface scattering or bulk loss at grain boundaries).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA318364
Entities
People
- Mark Lui
- Ross A. Mcfarlane
Organizations
- HRL Laboratories