High efficient 156 μm laser operation of Czochralski grown Er:Yb:Sr_3Y_2(BO_3)_4 crystal

Abstract

An Er:Yb:Sr(3)Y(2)(BO(3))(4) crystal doped with 0.9 at.% Er(3+) and 18.6 at.% Yb(3+) ions was grown by the Czochralski method. End-pumped by diode laser at 970 nm in a hemispherical cavity, 1.3 W quasi-cw laser output around 1.56 microm was achieved in a 1.1-mm-thick Z-cut Er:Yb:Sr(3)Y(2)(BO(3))(4) crystal when the transmission of output coupler is 1.5%. The absorbed pump threshold and slop efficiency of the laser are 4.26 W and 20%, respectively. This crystal has flat and broad gain curve peaked around 1.56 microm, which shows that it is also a potential gain medium for tunable and short pulse lasers.