Diode-Pumped Er~(3+) Y_2O_3 Ceramic Laser - Power Scaling at 2.7 μm

摘要

Mid-infrared (IR) laser sources operating in the 2.5 μm to 3.0-μm spectral range are of great importance for medical applications, hazardous chemical detection, remote atmospheric sensing, and pollution monitoring. Erbium ion (Er~(3+))-doped bulk crystalline materials with direct GaAs based diode pumping of the ~4I_(11/2) upper laser level at 0.97- to 0.98 μm and operating on the ～2.7- to 3-μm ~4I_(11/2)→~4I_(13/2) transitions [1] are very promising in terms of design simplicity and, hence, reliability and compactness. Among known sesquioxides, we have recently identified the Er~(3+):yttrium oxide (Y_2O_3) as the most suitable for 3-μm laser operation due to its lowest maximum phonon energy among the oxide laser hosts [2], and, hence, the longest ~4I_(11/2) upper-laser-level lifetime.