Fabrication, optical properties and laser outputs of Nd:YAG ceramics based on laser ablated and pre-calcined powders

Year: 2017

Authors: Osipov V.V., Maksimov R.N., Shitov V.A., Lukyashin K.E., Toci G., Vannini M., Ciofini M., Lapucci A.

Autors Affiliation: Institute of Electrophysics,Institute of Electrophysics, Ural Branch of RAS, Amundsen St. 106, Ekaterinburg 620016, Russia; Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Mira St. 19, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia; National Institute of Optics, INO-CNR, Largo Fermi 6, Firenze 50125, Italy

Abstract: Transparent Nd:YAG ceramic was fabricated by the solid-state reaction method with an additional round of pre-calcining using nanopowders of 1 at.% Nd:Y2O3 and Al2O3 synthesized by laser ablation. The precalcining step and addition of tetraethyl orthosilicate was found crucial for fabricating high optical quality Nd:YAG ceramic from such nanoparticles. The transmittance of the obtained 2-mm-thick Nd:YAG ceramic was 83.6% at the wavelength of 1064 nm, which is very close to the theoretical value. The uniformity of the optical quality of ceramic was mapped by analyzing the point-by-point transmission of a focused laser beam. The average volume of the scattering centers in the obtained ceramic was evaluated by direct count method to be 17 ppm. The Nd distribution was determined by fluorescence imaging to be homogeneous throughout the sample. Output power of 4.9 W with a slope efficiency of 52.7% was obtained in 1.5-mm-thick Nd:YAG ceramic under a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) laser diode end pumping at 805 nm. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal/Review: OPTICAL MATERIALS

Volume: 71      Pages from: 45  to: 49

More Information: The work was fulfilled in the frame of state task project No 0389-2014-0027 (2016-2017) and supported by Act 211 Government of the Russian Federation, contract No 02.A03.21.0006. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr V.V. Platonov and Dr A.N. Orlov from Institute of Electrophysics UrB RAS for the synthesis of nanopowder by laser ablation and transmission spectrum measurement, respectively.
KeyWords: Ablation; Agglomeration; Calcination; Ceramic materials; Laser ablation; Laser beams; Nanostructured materials; Optical properties; Porosity; Pumping (laser); Solid state lasers; Solid state reactions, Fluorescence imaging; Focused laser beams; Nano powders; Nd:YAG ceramic; Quasi-continuous waves; Scattering centers; Solid state reaction method; Tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate, Neodymium laser; Porosity
DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2016.06.021

Citations: 10
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