Spectroscopic properties of newly flux grown and highly Yb3+-doped cubic RE2O3 (RE=Y, Gd, Lu) laser crystals

• Published in: Optical materials 2015-01, Vol.39, p.258-264
• Main Authors: Velázquez, Matias, Veber, Philippe, Buşe, Gabriel, Petit, Yannick, Goldner, Philippe, Jubera, Véronique, Rytz, Daniel, Jaffres, Anaël, Peltz, Mark, Wesemann, Volker, Aschehough, Patrick, Aka, Gérard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical Sciences; Flux crystal growth; Laser crystals; Material chemistry; Rare-earth sesquioxides; Yb3+ ion spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2014.11.037

[Display omitted] •Yb3+ spectroscopy in cubic Gd2O3 crystals.•Highly Yb3+-substituted flux grown RE2O3 crystals (RE=Y, Lu, Gd) spectroscopy.•First correlation between Yb3+ cations partition effects, fluorescence quantum yield and laser slopes. We have developed laser grade and highly Yb3+-doped cubic rare-earth sesquioxides (RE2O3, RE=Y, Gd, Lu) single crystals by means of a newly designed high-temperature solution growth method which gives them spectroscopic properties different from those obtained by high-temperature solidification methods. Absorption and emission cross sections, visible anti-Stokes emission, fluorescence decays of the new cubic Gd2O3:Yb3+ single crystals are presented and compared to those of Y2O3:Yb3+ and Lu2O3:Yb3+ crystals. The case of cubic Gd2O3:Yb3+ is particularly interesting since its basic spectroscopic properties have never been detailed and we were capable of achieving Yb-doping level as high as 20%.