Spectroscopic properties of Er:Yb:Bi4Si3O12 crystal for 1.5–1.6 μm laser

Abstract

An Er3+ and Yb3+ co-doped Bi4Si3O12 single crystal was grown by the Czochralski method and the spectroscopic properties of the crystal were studied at room temperature in detail. The crystal has a peak absorption cross section of 0.98 × 10−20 cm2 at wavelength of 975 nm, and a peak emission cross section of 1.01 × 10−20 cm2 at wavelength of 1544 nm. The fluorescence lifetimes of the 4I11/2 and 4I13/2 multiplets of Er3+ are 14.4 μs and 5.64 ms, respectively. The fluorescence quantum efficiency of the 4I13/2 multiplet of Er3+ and the Yb3+ → Er3+ energy transfer efficiency are 88.4% and 77.5%, respectively. The results indicate that the Er:Yb:Bi4Si3O12 crystal is a promising 1.5–1.6 μm laser gain medium.