Fabrication and Optical Property of Nd:Lu2O3 Transparent Ceramics for Solid-state Laser Applications

doi:10.15541/jim20200143

Abstract

Abstract:

Nd ³⁺ doped Lu₂O₃ crystal has been suggested to be potential gain medium for high-power solid-state lasers due to the high thermal conductivity, low phonon energy and excellent optical properties. Because of the extremely high melting point of above 2400 ℃, great attention has been paid to the Lu₂O₃-based transparent ceramics considering the comparable optical properties and laser performance with single crystal. In this work, we aimed at fabricating highly transparent Nd:Lu₂O₃ ceramics and investigating the optical properties and laser performance. 1.0at%Nd:Lu₂O₃ ceramics were fabricated by two-step sintering, namely vacuum sintering along with hot isostatic pressing (HIP) method, from coprecipitated nano-powders. The microstructures of the as-prepared powder, green body and ceramics were studied. The average grain size of the HIPed ceramics is 724.2 nm. The final ceramic sample has the in-line transmittance of 82.4% at 1100 nm (1.0 mm thickness). The absorption cross-section of 1.0at%Nd:Lu₂O₃ ceramics at 806 nm is 1.50′10^-20 cm² and the calculated emission cross-section from fluorescence spectrum at 1080 nm is about 6.5′10^-20 cm². The mean fluorescence lifetime, 169 ms, of the⁴F_3/2·⁴I_11/2 was measured at the two excitation wavelengths of 878.8 and 895.6 nm, respectively. Laser performance of the annealed ceramic sample was investigated in quasi-continuous wave (QCW) condition. A maximum laser output power of 0.47 W with a slope efficiency of 8.7% is obtained by using an output coupler with a transmission of T_OC=2.0%. Briefly, laser level Nd:Lu₂O₃ transparent ceramics with high optical transparency and uniform microstructure have been fabricated, which are promising gain media for solid-state lasers.

Key words: Nd:Lu₂O₃ transparent ceramics, co-precipitation, two-step sintering, optical property, laser performance

CLC Number:

TQ174

LIU Ziyu, TOCI Guido, PIRRI Angela, PATRIZI Barbara, FENG Yagang, CHEN Xiaopu, HU Dianjun, TIAN Feng, WU Lexiang, VANNINI Matteo, LI Jiang. Fabrication and Optical Property of Nd:Lu₂O₃ Transparent Ceramics for Solid-state Laser Applications[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2021, 36(2): 210-216.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of the as-synthesized precursor and 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 powder calcined at 1100 ℃ for 4 h

Fig. 2 FESEM micrographs of (a) precursor, (b) 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 powder and (c) green body formed from the nano-powder

Fig. 3 FESEM micrographs of the thermally etched (1300 ℃ for 3 h) surfaces of 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 ceramics

Fig. 4 In-line transmittance and the photograph of the double-side polished 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 transparent ceramics

Fig. 5 Room-temperature absorption cross-section spectrum of the 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 ceramics annealed at 900 ℃ for 30 h

Fig. 6 (a) Room-temperature fluorescence spectrum and (b) emission cross-section of the 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 ceramics annealed at 900 ℃ for 30 h

Fig. 7 Fluorescence decay of the 1.0at%Nd:Lu2O3 ceramics excited at two different wavelengths

Fig. 8 Schematic of the laser cavity layout employed for the laser tests

Fig. 9 Laser output power vs incident pump power (a) and emission spectra for different transmission values of the OC (b)

Output coupler transmission/ %	Maximum power/ W	Slope efficiency/ %	Optical efficiency*/ %	Laser threshold/ W
2.0	0.460	8.7	7.8	0.57
5.2	0.372	8.9	6.3	0.81
7.0	0.325	8.3	5.7	1.20
19.0	0.029	1.9	0.5	4.42

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Fabrication and Optical Property of Nd:Lu₂O₃ Transparent Ceramics for Solid-state Laser Applications

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