Laser demonstration with highly doped Yb:Gd2O3 and Yb:Y2O3 crystals grown by an original flux method

Frédéric Druon (1) , Matias Velázquez (2) , Philippe Veber (2) , Sylvie Janicot (1) , Viraphong Oudomsack (2) , Gabriel Buse (2) , Marwan Abdou Ahmed (3) , Thomas Graf (3) , Daniel Rytz (4) , Patrick Georges (1)

1 Laboratoire Charles Fabry / Lasers
2 ICMCB - Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux
3 IFSW - Institut für Strahwerkzeuge
4 FEE

We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first laser demonstration of an Yb-doped Gd2O3 cubic crystal. This crystal was obtained by the flux method using an original borate-based solvent, which was particularly well suited to the growth of rare earth sesquioxide crystals at half the working temperature of classical growth techniques. This flux method is a very interesting alternative for the production of laser sesquioxide crystals, not only because it provides access to new matrices of the cubic polymorph, but also because it permits high Yb3+-doping levels for these crystals. The first laser results of two highly Yb3+-doped sesquioxides, namely Gd2O3 and Y2O3, grown by this flux method are presented here, including the Ti:sapphire and diode pumping configurations. Laser efficiencies and emission spectra for these two crystals were studied and compared.

Keywords: Rare earth; Laser; Flux method; Crystal

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]

Frédéric Druon, Matias Velázquez, Philippe Veber, Sylvie Janicot, Viraphong Oudomsack, et al.. Laser demonstration with highly doped Yb:Gd2O3 and Yb:Y2O3 crystals grown by an original flux method. Optics Letters, 2013, 38 (20), pp.4146-4149. ⟨10.1364/OL.38.004146⟩. ⟨hal-00904497⟩