Fluorescence and thermal stress properties of Yb3+-doped alumino silicate glasses for ultra high peak power laser applications

Abstract

Various alumino silicate glasses (network modifier ions: Li+, Mg2+, Zn2+ and/or La3+) doped with 1 × 1020 Yb3+ cm−3 (about 0.2 mol% Yb2O3) were prepared. The glasses were studied with respect to their thermo-mechanical and fluorescence properties. Huge differences are found for the coefficients of thermal expansion which determine the thermal shock resistance of the material and hence are required for ultra-high power laser applications. Here, zinc and magnesium alumino silicate glasses show the lowest values. The fluorescence lifetimes of the glasses increase with decreasing average atomic weight of the glass composition (685–1020 µs). All glasses show broad and smooth emission spectra with little variations due to compositional changes.Mixed lithium zinc or lithium magnesium alumino silicate glasses could be promising new laser materials especially with respect to ultra-high peak power systems or applications with high repetition rates.