Title :
RE3 +-Ion-Doped YAG Ceramic Lasers
Author_Institution :
Inst. for Molecular Sci., Okazaki
Abstract :
Transparent polycrystalline ceramics for laser applications have been demonstrated to offer tremendous processing and design advantages relative to Czochralski-grown single crystals: fast production times, fabrication possibilities for materials with phase transitions during melt growth, and ability of engineered profiles and structures. Much progress has been made in improving the optical quality of ceramics as well as in exploring new laser materials. Successfully developed disordered Yb:Y3ScAl4O12 ceramics realized ultrafast laser pulses as fast as 280 fs. The manufacturing flexibility of ceramic processing enables the production of composite structure before sintering. Up to 400-W continuous wave (CW) laser output power was obtained in an edge-pumped all-ceramics composite Yb:YAG microchip with a 200-mum-thick and 3.7-mm core diameter. Further possibilities of ceramic gain media are discussed.
Keywords :
ceramics; composite materials; microchip lasers; neodymium; scandium compounds; sintering; transparency; ytterbium; yttrium compounds; RE3+-ion-doped YAG ceramic lasers; Y3ScAl4O12:Yb; YAG:Nd; YAG:Yb; ceramic gain media; continuous wave laser; edge-pumped all-ceramics composite Yb:YAG microchip; sintering; transparent polycrystalline ceramics; ultrafast laser pulses; Ceramics; Crystalline materials; Laser applications; Laser sintering; Laser transitions; Microchip lasers; Optical design; Optical materials; Process design; Production; Active mirror lasers; Nd:YAG lasers; Yb:YAG lasers; ceramic lasers; diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSSL); giant microphotonics; high-power lasers; microchip lasers;
Journal_Title :
Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JSTQE.2007.897174
