Fluoride crystals (CaF2, SrF2) doped with neodymium Nd3+ and codoped with non-active ions such as Y3+, La3+, or Gd3+ for breaking clusters of active ions, have become interesting active media for diode-pumped mode-locked lasers. They posses broad emission spectra and longer fluorescence lifetime in comparison with widely used crystals such as Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO4. The crystal fibers grown by several groups in recent years might be attractive for high power operation and possibility of beam guiding. We investigated Nd,Gd:CaF2 cylinders 10 mm long with diameter of 1.9 mm end pumped by 790 nm LD. In free running regime the wavelength tunability of 41 nm (1040-1081nm) was achieved. In continuously passively mode-locked regime using SESAM the pulses 1.3 ps long at 1065 nm with 2 nm spectral width were generated. The average output power was 200 mW for pump power of 1.6 W. Comparison with operation of standard bulk Nd,Gd:CaF2 active media is also presented.
The effect of doping concentration of Nd3+ and co-doping Y3+ on the spectroscopic properties are investigated systematically. Due to the particular clustering effect, the quench effect was demonstrated in lightly doped NdxGd0.03Sr0.97-xF2.03+x (x=0.0005,0.0015,0.0065,0.01) crystals. For a 3% Gd:SrF2 crystal, the fluorescence lifetime at 1054 nm decrease from 380.9 to 159.8 μs by doping Nd3+ from 0.15 at.% to 1 %at.%, while the emission cross section decreases to 4.12 × 10−20cm2 at 1054 nm. However, the absorb cross section were increased when the concentration of Nd3+ increase from 0.5 % to 0.65 %. Thus, there is an optimum doping concentration of Nd3+. According to the research, the optimum doping concentration of Nd3+ is 0.15 % in 3% Gd:SrF2 crystals.
Nd:Ca1-xYxF2+x(x=0%,2%,5%,10%) crystals were grown by Temperature gradient technique. The emission spectrum and absorption spectrum were tested. The emission cross section, emission bandwidth and absorption cross section were calculated. The influence of codoping ions on the spectral performance was compared and analyzed. These crystals have better spectral parameters than Nd:CaF2 crystals. By increasing the concentration of Y3+, spectral properties could be optimized. Among these crystals, the crystal with x=10% has the longest fluorescence lifetime (283.5 μs). The crystal with x=5% has the largest emission cross section(2.90× 10-20 cm2) and the largest absorption cross section(2.18× 10-20 cm2).
The spectroscopic properties of the 1.0 at.%Pr:Ca0.97R0.02F2.03(R=Y, La, Gd) crystals are investigated. X-diffraction and room temperature absorption spectra have been registered and analyzed. The emission spectra and decay curves of the crystals were obtained at room temperature. The photoluminescence intensity in the visible region is significantly enhanced by co-doping R3+ ions in Pr:CaF2 crystal. The different effects among the R3+ (Y3+, La3+ and Gd3+) regulating ions on the crystals were observed and compared. Pr:Ca0.97La0.02F2.03 and Pr:Ca0.97Y0.02F2.03 crystals have substantially strong emission at blue and orange region, while the Pr:Ca0.97Gd0.02F2.03 crystal is more suitable for the red emission emitting.
Fluoride-type crystals (CaF2, SrF2) doped with neodymium Nd3+ and codoped with buffer ions for breaking clusters of active ions and increasing fluorescence efficiency, present interesting alternative as laser active media for the diode-pumped mode-locked lasers. In comparison with widely used materials as Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO4, they have broad emission spectra as well as longer fluorescence lifetime, in comparison with Nd:glass, SrF2 and CaF2 have better thermal conductivity. In spite of the fact, that this thermal conductivity decreases with Nd3+ doping concentration, these crystals are alternative for the Nd:glass in subpicosecond mode-locked laser systems. In this paper we review the basic results reported recently on these active materials and in the second part we present our results achieved in low power diode pumped passively mode locked lasers with Nd,La:CaF2 and Nd,Y:SrF2 crystals. The pulses as short as 258 fs at wavelength of 1057 nm were obtained in the first case, while 5 ps long pulses at 1065 nm were generated from the second laser system.
Fluoride-type crystals (CaF2, SrF2) doped with neodymium Nd3+ present interesting alternative as a laser active media for the diode-pumped mode-locked laser systems mainly because of their broad emission spectra as well as longer fluorescence lifetime in comparison with well-known materials as Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO4. In comparison with Nd:glass active material, SrF2 and CaF2 have better thermal conductivity. In spite of the thermal conductivity decreases with doping concentration, these crystal might be interesting alternative for the Nd:glass mode-locked laser systems. In this contribution we present the first results of the Nd,Y:SrF2 mode-locked laser diode-pumped at 796nm. Mode-locking operation using SESAM was successfully achieved in the pulsed pumping regime (pulse-duration 1.5 ms, frequency 10 Hz) with the overall average output power of 2.3 mW (corresponding to the power amplitude of 153 mW) in one output beam at the wavelength of ~1055 nm. The actual pulse-duration was 87 ps.
In this contribution we present spectroscopic and laser properties of TGT (temperature gradient technique) grown
Nd,Y:SrF2 crystals with neodymium concentration of 0.4, 0.65 and 0.8 at.%. The absorption cross-section, fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decay time were measured. For the laser experiments, the noncoated crystal samples 3.5 or 5 mm thick were pumped by a 796 nm laser diode matching the Nd:SrF2 absorption peak. Several output couplers with
reflectivity ranging from 70 to 98 % at the generated wavelength were tested. In the pulsed pumping regime (pulseduration
2 ms, frequency 10 Hz), the maximum average output power of 75 mW was obtained with the slope efficiency
as high as 48 % and the optical-to-optical efficiency of 42 % with respect to the absorbed pump power. The output beam
spatial profile was nearly Gaussian in both axes, oscillations started at the wavelength of 1057 nm. At higher pumping
levels, the second emission line at 1050 nm appears corresponding to our fluorescence measurements. Wavelength
tuning using birefringent filter from 1048 to 1070 nm is probably given by crystal-field splitting of the 4F3/2 manifold in Nd3+. True-CW laser operation was also successfully obtained at lower pumping level with the maximum output power of 90 mW using output coupler reflectivity of 98 %.
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