Achievements and Future Perspectives of the Trivalent Thulium-Ion-Doped Mixed-Sesquioxide Ceramics for Laser Applications

Year: 2022

Authors: Pirri A.; Maksimov R.N.; Li J.; Vannini M.; Toci G.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto di Fisica Applicata “”N. Carrara””, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, FI, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Institute of Electrophysics UrB RAS, Ekaterinburg, 620016, Russia, Russian Federation; Ural Federal University Named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia, Russian Federation; Key Laboratory of Transparent Opto-Functional Inorganic Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201899, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, INO-CNR, FI, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy

Abstract: This paper is devoted to reviewing the latest results achieved in solid-state lasers based on thulium-doped mixed-sesquioxide ceramics, i.e., (Lu,Sc,Y)(2)O-3. The near- and mid-infrared regions are of interest for many applications, from medicine to remote sensing, as they match molecular fingerprints and cover several atmospheric transparency windows. These matrices are characterized by a strong electron-phonon interaction-which results in a large splitting of the ground state-and by a spectral broadening of the optical transition suitable for developing tunable and short-pulse lasers. In particular, the manuscript reports on the trivalent thulium laser transitions at 1.5, 1.9, and 2.3 mu m, along with the thermal and optical characteristics of the (Lu,Sc,Y)(2)O-3 ceramics, including the fabrication techniques, spectroscopic and optical properties, and laser performances achieved in different pumping regimes, such as continuous-wave (CW), quasi-CW, and pulsed modes. A comparison of the performance obtained with these mixed-sesquioxide ceramics and with the corresponding crystals is reported.

Journal/Review: MATERIALS (BASEL)

Volume: 15 (6)      Pages from: 2084-1  to: 2084-20

KeyWords: solid-state lasers; rare-earth doped laser materials; infrared laser; diode-pumped lasers; thulium lasers; thulium-doped mixed laser ceramics; mixed-sesquioxide ceramics
DOI: 10.3390/ma15062084