Study of Yb:YAG ceramic slab with Cr4+:YAG edge cladding

Yb:YAG ceramic slab with Cr4+:YAG edge cladding was fabricated by vacuum sintering technology using commercial powders as raw materials and CaO as a charge compensator. After annealing, a portion of Cr3+ ions transform into Cr4+. The lasing wavelength of 1030 nm of Yb3+ lies within the Cr4+ board absorption band range of 900–1100 nm. The intensity of the Cr4+ absorption peak is proportional to the Cr concentration. In order to keep the Cr:Ca molar ratio of 1:3, the amount of CaO grows accordingly with the increasing of the Cr concentration. If adding excessive CaO, abnormal grain growth and residual pores are easily generated. When the Cr concentration is 0.35 at%, the comprehensive properties of the composite ceramic are the best among three samples. The interface region between Cr:YAG and Yb:YAG regions shows a uniform microstructure, indicating that there is no interface effect presence in the composite ceramic. The transmission of the sample is comparable to that of single crystal.