Search and Characterization of Optical Ceramics and Crystals for Diode-pumped Laser Oscillations
Abstract
Preliminary investigation into the development of techniques to create fluoride ceramics has shown that the main principles and approaches suitable for the development of oxide ceramics could not be applied for fluorides. The hot pressing formation technique from initial single crystals was optimized to enable obtainment of stable high optical ceramics from simple fluorides and their solid solutions doped with different RE3+ ions. The spectroscopic properties of Yb3+ ions in fluoride ceramics of different compositions were investigated and the advantages of fluoride hosts to include a long upper laser level lifetime as well as a low minimal pumping intensity were demonstrated. The possibility of manipulating the spectroscopic and laser properties through the usage of different fluoride hosts was demonstrated and different tuning ranges for Yb3+ ions were realized. Fluoride CaF2:Yb3+ ceramics were prepared by hot pressing single crystals and by the standard technique from powder and laser oscillations were obtained. Neodymium doped laser ceramics were obtained and the spectroscopic properties of different optical centers were determined. It was shown that selective excitation of non-quenched tetragonal optical centers resulted in a shorter oscillation wavelength with higher slope efficiency. It was also demonstrated that by using solid solutions of SrF2-LaF3, problems of low quantum yield arising from Nd-Nd paired optical centers were diminished enabling high oscillation efficiencies regardless of the laser diode pump wavelength.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA597150
Entities
People
- Tasoltan Basiev