High efficiency emission of a laser based on Yb-doped (Lu,Y)2O3 ceramic

We demonstrated highly efficient laser emission of a 6% at. Yb:(Lu,Y)2O3 ceramic sample with formula (Yb0.06Lu0.12Y0.78Zr0.04)2O3 (i.e. Yb doped solid solution of Y2O3 and Lu2O3 with Zirconia as sintering aid) fabricated by means of solid-state sintering of mixed sesquioxide nanoparticles under vacu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optical materials 2018-09, Vol.83, p.182-186
Main Authors: Toci, Guido, Pirri, Angela, Patrizi, Barbara, Maksimov, Roman N., Osipov, Vladimir V., Shitov, Vladislav A., Yurovskikh, Artem S., Vannini, Matteo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Laser materials
Lasers
Lasers and laser optics
Solid-state
Transparent ceramics
Ytterbium
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Summary:We demonstrated highly efficient laser emission of a 6% at. Yb:(Lu,Y)2O3 ceramic sample with formula (Yb0.06Lu0.12Y0.78Zr0.04)2O3 (i.e. Yb doped solid solution of Y2O3 and Lu2O3 with Zirconia as sintering aid) fabricated by means of solid-state sintering of mixed sesquioxide nanoparticles under vacuum. The ceramics features a very good optical quality, with a transmission very close to the theoretical limit. The spectroscopic characteristics were investigated, resulting in intermediate properties between Yb:Y2O3 and Yb:Lu2O3. Laser emission was obtained under diode pumping at 936 nm, in CW and quasi-CW pumping condition. We measured a maximum output power of 3.9 W at 1077 nm while the highest slope efficiency was 51.2%, in quasi-CW regime. In CW, at the same laser wavelength, the output power was 2.2 W with a corresponding slope efficiency of 35.1%. The explored range of tunability, 97 nm, is to the best of our knowledge one of the broadest and continuous intervals measured with Yb-doped materials. Mixed Lu-Y ceramic sesquioxides appear then as a promising laser material for broadly tunable laser sources and, in consequence, for the generation of ultrashort laser pulses. •High efficiency laser emission of a 6 at.% Yb:(Lu,Y)2O3 mixed sesquioxide ceramics obtained by vacuum sintered nanoparticles.•Output of 3.9 W at 1077 nm, slope efficiency 51.2%: the highest levels ever recorded for crystalline or ceramic Yb:(Lu,Y)2O3.•Broad range of tunability, i. e 97 nm, one of the broadest and continuous range measured with Yb-doped materials.
ISSN:0925-3467
1873-1252
DOI:10.1016/j.optmat.2018.06.006