First laser performance of Er~(3+)-doped scandia (Sc_2O_3) ceramic

摘要

Remote monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO_2) is becoming increasingly important for homeland security needs as well as for studying the CO_2 distribution in the atmosphere as it pertains to global warming problems. So, efficient solid-state lasers emitting in the 1.55 - 1.65 μm spectral range, where CO_2 absorption lines are, (ⅰ), plentiful and, (ⅱ), carry significant relevant information, are in great demand. Reported here is the first laser performance of resonantly pumped Er~(3+)-doped scandia (Sc_2O_3) ceramic. The laser was operated in the cryogenically-cooled regime with the quantum defect (QD) of only 4.5%, which, along with superior thermal conductivity of scandia, offers significant eye-safe power scaling potential with nearly diffraction limited beam quality. Slope efficiency of 77% and Q-CW output power of 2.35 W were obtained at 1605.5 nm which has significant utility for counter-IED applications.