Experimental evidence of a nonlinear loss mechanism in highly doped Yb:LuAG crystal

Year: 2014

Authors: Pirri A., Toci G., Nikl M., Babin V., Vannini M.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto di Fisica Applicata “N. Carrara”,Consiglio nazionale delle Ricerche, IFAC-CNR, via Madonna del Piano 10 C, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy;
Istituto Nazionale di Ottica,Consiglio nazionale delle Ricerche, INO-CNR, via Madonna del Piano 10 C, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy;
Institute of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Cukrovarnicka 10, Prague 162 53, Czech Republic

Abstract: We report a rigorous study of the spectroscopic, laser and thermal properties of a 10at.% and a 15at.% Yb:LuAG crystals. A loss mechanism is observed in the medium with the highest doping, pumped at 936 nm and 968 nm, as a sharp and dramatic decrease of the laser output power is measured at higher excitation densities. The nonlinearity of the loss mechanism is confirmed by the fluorescence data and by the thermal lens. In particular, the dioptric power of the thermal lens acquired at different pumping levels shows a strong deviation of the expected linear trend. Here we report the influence of both the concentration and the ion excitation density of Yb3+ on the output powers, the slope efficiencies and the thresholds. Conversely excellent results are achieved with the 10at.%, which does not show any loss mechanism as at 1046 nm it delivers 11.8 W with a slope efficiency of eta(s) = 82%, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest value reported in literature for this material. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America

Journal/Review: OPTICS EXPRESS

Volume: 22 (4)      Pages from: 4038  to: 4049

More Information: The research was supported by Regione Toscana, project \”CTOTUS-Progetto integrato per lo sviluppo della Capacita Tecnologica e Operativa della Toscana per l\’Utilizzo dello Spazio\” (POR FESR 2007-2013 Attivita 1.1 Linea d\’intervento D); by the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR-RSTL \”Ricerca Spontanea a Tema libero\”, id. 959; by the joint project of ASCR and CNR and Czech GA AV project M100100910, 2012-2015.
KeyWords: Laser and laser optics; Lasers, solid state; Rare earth and transition metal solid-s; Laser materials; Laser properties Ceramics
DOI: 10.1364/OE.22.004038

Citations: 14
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