Spectral and Laser Properties of Yb:LuAG Transparent Ceramics Fabricated by Tape Casting Method

Abstract

Yb3+‐doped LuAG laser ceramics with different Yb3+‐doping concentrations were successfully fabricated by nonaqueous tape casting method and vacuum sintering technology. XRD patterns and SEM morphologies of the ceramics were presented. The optical in‐line transmittance of the Yb‐doped LuAG ceramics was about 83% at 1030 nm. The fluorescence lifetime of annealed and unannealed ceramic samples was compared. From the spectroscopic properties, it can be seen that the ceramics had a large emission cross section of 2.9 × 10−20 cm2 with a FWHM of about 7.2 nm at 1030 nm. Under 100% population inversion, the maximum gain coefficient was estimated to be 12.4 cm−1 at 1030 nm. With a fiber‐coupled diode laser as pump source, CW laser at 1030 nm was demonstrated and the maximum output power of 338.9 mW was achieved with a slop efficiency of 19%. A tuning range from 1028 to 1036 nm was obtained.