Diode-end-pumped Ho, Pr:LiLuF4 bulk laser at 2.95 µm.

A diode-end-pumped continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched Ho, Pr:LiLuF4 (Ho, Pr:LLF) laser operation at 2.95 µm was demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The maximum CW output power was 172 mW. By using a monolayer graphene as the saturable absorber, the passively Q-switched operation was realized, in which regimes with the highest output power, the shortest pulse duration, and the maximum repetition rate were determined to be 88 mW, 937.5 ns, and 55.7 kHz, respectively. The laser beam quality factor M2 at the maximum CW output power were measured to be Mx2=1.48 and My2=1.47.

Enhanced emission of 2.86 µm from diode-pumped Ho(3+)/Yb(3+)-codoped PbF(2) crystal.

A novel Ho(3+)Yb(3+)-codoped PbF(2) mid-IR laser crystal was successfully grown and analyzed. Enhanced emission at 2.86 µm was observed from the crystal under excitation of a common 970 nm laser diode for the first time. The effect of Yb(3+) codoping on the 2.86 µm photoluminescence of Ho(3+) was investigated. In comparison to Ho(3+)-singly doped PbF(2) crystal, the Ho(3+)/Yb(3+)-codoped PbF(2) crystal possessed comparable quantum efficiency (88.8%), and fluorescence branching ratio (20.52%) along with a larger calculated emission cross section (1.90×10(-20) cm(2)) corresponding to the laser transition (5)I(6)→(5)I(7) of Ho(3+). It was found that the introduced Yb(3+) enhanced the 2.86 µm emission by depopulating the Ho(3+):(5)I(7) level. The energy transfer (ET) efficiency from Yb(3+):(2)F(5/2) to Ho(3+):(5)I(6) is as high as 96.7%, indicating that Yb(3+) ion is an effective sensitizer for Ho(3+) ion in PbF(2) crystal. These results suggest that Ho(3+)/Yb(3+)-codoped PbF(2) crystal may become an attractive host for developing solid state lasers at around 2.86 µm under a conventional 970 nm LD pump.

Intense 2.89 µm emission from Dy³âº/Yb³âº-codoped PbF2 crystal by 970 nm laser diode pumping.

A novel Dy(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped PbF2 mid-IR laser crystal was successfully grown using the vertical Bridgman method. Efficient emission at around 3 µm from the crystal was observed under excitation of a conventional 970 nm laser diode (LD). The energy transfer efficiency from Yb(3+) to Dy(3+) in Dy(3+)/Yb(3+):PbF2 crystal is as high as (97.7±0.3)%. It is also found that the Dy(3+)/Yb(3+):PbF2 crystal possesses long fluorescence lifetime (15.4±0.2) ms, high quantum efficiency (95.0±0.3)%, and large emission cross section (1.37±0.11)×10(-20) cm2 corresponding to the stimulated emission of Dy(3+):(6)H(13/2)→(6)H(15/2) transition. Additionally, the phonon energy of the crystal was analyzed by the Raman spectrum. These results indicate that Dy(3+)/Yb(3+):PbF2 crystal may become a promising material for 3 µm solid state lasers under a conventional 970 nm LD pump.

Intense 2.8 µm emission of Ho³âº doped PbF2 single crystal.

A Ho³âº-doped PbF2 mid-IR laser crystal was successfully grown using the vertical Bridgman method. An intense 2.8 µm emission in Ho:PbF2 crystal was observed for the first time. By analyzing the absorption and emission measurements of the Ho:PbF2 crystal with the Judd-Ofelt theory, the intensity parameters Ω(2,4,6), exited state lifetimes, branching ratios, and emission cross-sections were calculated. It is found that the Ho:PbF2 crystal has high fluorescence branching ratio (20.99%), large emission cross section (1.44×10⁻²° cm²), long fluorescence lifetime (5.4 ms), and high quantum efficiency (88.4%) corresponding to the stimulated emission of Ho³âº: 5I6→5I7 transition. The structure of Ho:PbF2 crystal was also analyzed by the Raman spectrum, and it was found that the Ho:PbF2 crystal possesses low phonon energy of 257 cm⁻¹. We propose that the Ho:PbF2 crystal may be a promising material for 2.8 µm laser applications.

Deactivation effects of the lowest excited state of Ho3+ at 2.9 µm emission introduced by Pr3+ ions in LiLuF4 crystal.

The use of Pr3+ codoping for enhancement of the Ho3+:5I6 →5I7 mid-IR emissions were investigated in the LiLuF4 crystal for the first time. It was found that Pr3+ greatly increased Ho3+ 2.9 µm emission by depopulating the Ho3+:5I7 level while having little influence on the Ho3+:5I6 level, leading to greater population inversion. The energy transfer efficiency from Ho3+:5I7 to Pr3+:3F2 is calculated to be 88%. Based on Judd-Ofelt theory, the 2.9 µm emission cross section is calculated to be 1.91×10(-20) cm2, and the gain property of the Ho3+:5I6 →5I7 transition is discussed. We propose that the Ho, Pr:LiLuF4 crystal may be a promising material for 2.9 µm laser applications.

Room-temperature diode-pumped Yb, Na: PbF2 laser.

Growth, spectroscopic properties, and laser performance of Yb, Na:PbF(2) crystals have been investigated. With a 2 mol.% Yb(3+)-doped sample we obtained 2.65 W output power at 1045 nm for 7.5 W of incident power at 976 nm. The laser wavelength could be tuned from 1017 to 1078 nm, showing the great potential of Yb, Na:PbF(2) as an amplifier medium for femtosecond pulses.

Yb,Na:PbF(2): a potential new high-power laser material.

Yb:PbF(2) and Yb,Na:PbF(2) laser crystals are grown by the Bridgman method. Room-temperature absorption, photoluminescence spectra, and fluorescence lifetimes of Yb(3+) ions in the crystals have been investigated. Experimental results show that Na(+) ions codoping with Yb(3+) as charge compensators can suppress the deoxidization of Yb(3+) to Yb(2+). The result of diode-pumped laser operation of a Yb,Na:PbF(2) single crystal is reported for the first time to the best of our knowledge . With a 1mol.%Yb(3+)-doped sample, we obtained 2.37W output power at 1056nm for 17.9W of incident power at 978nm.

[Calculation of spectroscopic parameters of highly doped Er3+ in lithium niobate].

A highly doped Er3+: LiNbO3 (concentration 6 mol%) crystal was grown successfully by Czochralski method. The crystal is higher than that of the lowly doped Er3+ in LiNbO3 crystal, which is helpful to improve absorption coefficient of the grown the pumping efficiency. The absorption spectra at two unpolarized directions (X and Z) and two polarized directions (E parallel Z, E perpendicular Z) were measured. Using the Judd-Ofelt theory, and according to the measured absorption spectra, the intensity parameters omegalambda of Er3+ were fitted. The results of root-mean square (r. m. s) deviation show that the error of polarized fitting is less than that of unpolarized one. Thus fluorescence transition probabilities (Ajj), radioactive lifetime (tau), fluorescence branching ratio (beta), and integrated emission cross section (sigmap) were calculated and accepted according to the polarized results, and were also discussed and compared with the ones reported in the literature.

Optical characterization and evaluation of the laser properties of Yb(3+)-doped (La, Sr)(Al, Ta)O(3) single crystals.

A Yb(3+)-doped mixed-perovskite single crystal (La, Sr)(Al, Ta)O(3) (LSAT) crystal is grown by the Czochralski method. The absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence lifetime of Yb(3+) ions have been investigated, and the spectroscopic parameters of Yb:LSAT have also been calculated. This crystal exhibits a remarkably large ground-state splitting (about 1100 cm(-1)), a relatively long fluorescence lifetime (0.85 ms) and broad absorption and emission bandwidths. The results indicate that the Yb(3+):LSAT crystal is a good candidate for diode-pumped ultrashort and tunable solid-state laser applications.

4-ps passively mode-locked Nd:Gd0.5Y0.5VO4 laser with a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror.

We have demonstrated a passively mode-locked diode end-pumped all-solid-state laser, which is composed of a Nd:Gd0.5Y0.5VO4 crystal and a folded cavity with a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition. Stable cw mode locking with a 3.8-ps pulse duration at a repetition rate of 112 MHz was obtained. At 13.6 W of the incident pump power, a clean mode-locked fundamental-mode average output power of 3.9 W was achieved with an overall optical-to-optical efficiency of 29.0%, and the slope efficiency was 38.1%.