Optical properties of epitaxial YAG:Yb films

• Published in: Physica status solidi. A, Applied research Applied research, 2004-03, Vol.201 (4), p.791-797
• Main Authors: Ubizskii, S. B., Matkovskii†, A. O., Melnyk, S. S., Syvorotka, I. M., Müller, V., Peters, V., Petermann, K., Beyertt, A., Giesen, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 42.55.Sa; 42.70.Hj; 78.40.Ha; 78.66.Nk; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Other solid inorganic materials; Photoluminescence; Physics
• ISSN: 0031-8965; 1521-396X
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.200306726

This work deals with the investigation of the optical properties of epitaxial YAG:Yb films and their suitability as gain media for thin disk lasers. Epitaxial films of YAG:Yb were grown by the liquid phase epitaxy method in air on the (111)‐oriented YAG substrates. The thickness of the grown layers was from 30 to 260 μm. The melt composition was varied to obtain the desired doping level from 10 to 15% and to optimize the optical properties. The best epitaxial films were colourless and had an Yb3+ luminescence lifetime of more than 950 μs, which is very close to the intrinsic lifetime of the Yb ions in the bulk YAG single crystals. These films were tested in a thin disk laser setup with 24 absorption passes of the 940 nm pumping beam. The maximum output power at 1.03 μm wavelength in CW operation reached more than 60 W and the optical efficiency was close to 30%. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)