Ion-pair upconversion pumped laser emission in Er/sup 3 +/ ions in YAG, YLF, SrF/sub 2/, and CaF/sub 2/ crystals

Journal Article · Thu Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.341572· OSTI ID:6977168

Pollack, S A; Chang, D B

Ion-pair upconversion pumped laser emission at 2.7--2.9 ..mu..m between the /sup 4/I/sub 11//sub ///sub 2/ and /sup 4/I/sub 13//sub ///sub 2/ excited states of triply ionized erbium ions (Er/sup 3 +/) has been studied at 300 and 100 K in YLF, YAG, SrF/sub 2/, and CaF/sub 2/ hosts. Laser action was obtained by pumping directly into the transition's terminal laser level. In all four hosts, the lifetime of the /sup 4/I/sub 13//sub ///sub 2/ state is longer than that of the /sup 4/I/sub 11//sub ///sub 2/ state, by factors of 5 and 80 for the first two, and factors of (5)/(2) and 2 for the SrF/sub 2/ and CaF/sub 2/, respectively. The absorption coefficient for the 1.533-..mu..m pump radiation is comparable in YLF, SrF/sub 2/, and CaF/sub 2/, but is larger by a factor of 3 in YAG. At room temperature the threshold pump energy for YAG is larger by a factor of 10 than for CaF/sub 2/, SrF/sub 2/, and YLF. Interpretation of the lasing delay times at threshold pumping levels in terms of a simple analytic model gives for the upconversion coefficients: ..cap alpha../sub YLF/ = 1.2 x 10/sup -17/ cm/sup 3/ s/sup -1/, ..cap alpha../sub YAG/ = 5.4 x 10/sup -17/ cm/sup 3/ s/sup -1/, ..cap alpha../sub =/ = 2.9 x 10/sup -15/ cm/sup 3/ s/sup -1/, and ..cap alpha../sub =/ = 3.2 x 10/sup -15/ cm/sup 3/ s/sup -1/. Nonoptimized upconversion pumped laser efficiency in Er:YLF was measured at 110 K to be 17%. A peculiar upconversion pumped lasing behavior was observed in Er:YAG at low temperatures.

• Research Organization: Hughes Aicraft Company, Support Systems, P. O. Box 9399, Long Beach, California 90810
• OSTI ID: 6977168
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 64:6; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM FLUORIDES
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY
ERBIUM IONS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FREQUENCY SELECTION
GARNETS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IONS
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
MINERALS
OPERATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PUMPING
RADIATIONS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SOLID STATE LASERS
STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS
STRONTIUM FLUORIDES
THRESHOLD ENERGY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS