Infrared and upconversion spectroscopic studies of high Ercontent transparent YAG ceramic

In this article, we report the detailed spectroscopic studies of high Ercontent (50%) transparent YAG ceramic co-doped with nominal Cr content (0.1 mol %). Various radiative and non-radiative spectroscopic properties such as radiative decay time, fluorescence branching ratio, emission/absorption cross sections, internal radiative quantum yields of the infrared and the upconverted emission bands are explored using standard experimental and theoretical methods and compared with YAG single crystal. Results show that although the non-radiative losses are high for 50% Er doped ceramic; several radiative spectral properties are almost in agreement with those for the single crystal YAG. Furthermore, because of the low dopant concentration of Cr, the sensitizing effect of Cr was not observed. ©2011 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (140.3613) Lasers, upconversion; (160.4670) Optical materials; (160.4760) Optical properties. References and links 1. D. L. Chubb, A. Maria, T. Pal, M. O. Patton, and P. P. Jenkins, “Rare earth doped high temperature ceramic selective emitters,” J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 19(13-14), 2551–2562 (1999). 2. T. Yanagitani, H. Yagi, and M. Ichikawa, “Production of yttrium-aluminum-garnet fine powder,” Japanese Patent 10–101333 (1998). 3. G. A. Kumar, J. Lu, A. A. Kaminskii, K.-I. Ueda, H. Yagi, T. Yanagitani, and N. V. Unnikrishnan, “Spectroscopic and stimulated emission characteristics of Nd in transparent YAG ceramics,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 40(6), 747–758 (2004). 4. M. Kaczkan, M. Borowska, K. Kolodziejak, T. Lukasiewicz, and M. Malinowski, “Intensity of optical transitions of Er in Yb3Al5O12 crystal,” Opt. Mater. 30(5), 703–706 (2008). 5. M. Eichhorn, S. T. Fredrich-Thornton, E. Heumann, and G. Huber, “Spectroscopic properties of Er: YAG at 300–550 K and their effects on the 1.6 μm laser transitions,” Appl. Phys. B 91(2), 249–256 (2008). 6. J. X. Meng, K. W. Cheah, Z. P. Shi, and J. Q. Li, “Intense 1540 nm emission from Er doped Ce:YAG phosphor,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 91(15), 151107 (2007). 7. E. Georgiou, F. Kiriakidi, O. Musset, and J.-P. Boquillon, “1.65-μm Er:Yb:YAG diode-pumped laser delivering 80-mJ pulse energy,” Opt. Eng. 44(6), 064202–064212 (2005). 8. V. Lupei, A. Lupei, and A. Ikesue, “Transparent polycrystalline ceramic laser materials,” Opt. Mater. 30(11), 1781–1786 (2008). 9. D. Garbuzov, I. Kudryashov, and M. Dubinskii, “Resonantly diode laser pumped 1.6-μm-erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet solid-state laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 86(13), 131115 (2005). 10. W. Q. Shi, M. Bass, and M. Birnbaum, “Effects of energy transfer among Er ions on the fluorescence decay and lasing properties of heavily doped Er:Y3AI5012,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 7(8), 1456–1462 (1990). 11. V. I. Zhekov, T. M. Murina, A. M. Prokhorov, M. I. Studenikin, S. Georgescu, V. Lupei, and I. Ursu, “Cooperative process in Y3Al5012:Er 3+ crystals,” Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 16(2), 274–276 (1986). 12. D. W. Chen, C. L. Fincher, T. S. Rose, F. L. Vernon, and R. A. Fields, “Diode-pumped 1-W continuous-wave Er:YAG 3-μm laser,” Opt. Lett. 24(6), 385–387 (1999). 13. J. Zhou, W. Zhang, L. Wang, Y. Shen, J. Li, W. Liu, B. Jiang, H. Kou, Y. Shi, and Y. Pan, “Fabrication microstructure and optical properties of polycrystalline Er:Y3Al5O12 ceramics,” Ceram. Int. 37(1), 119–125 (2011). #150115 $15.00 USD Received 30 Jun 2011; revised 12 Aug 2011; accepted 10 Oct 2011; published 17 Oct 2011 (C) 2011 OSA 1 November 2011 / Vol. 1, No. 7 / OPTICAL MATERIALS EXPRESS 1272 14. J. Zhou, W. Zhang, T. Huang, L. Wang, J. Li, W. Liu, B. Jiang, Y. Pan, and J. Guo, “Optical properties of Er, Yb co-doped YAG transparent ceramics,” Ceram. Int. 37(2), 513–519 (2011). 15. J. Zhou, W. Zhang, J. Li, B. Jiang, W. Liu, and Y. Pan, “Upconversion luminescence of high content Er-doped YAG transparent ceramics,” Ceram. Int. 36(1), 193–197 (2010). 16. G. Qin, J. Lu, J. Bisson, Y. Feng, K. Ueda, H. Yagi, and T. Yanagitani, “Upconversion luminescence of Er in highly transparent YAG ceramics,” Solid State Commun. 132(2), 103–106 (2004). 17. L. Min, W. Shiwei, Z. Jian, A. Liqiong, and C. Lidong, “Preparation and upconversion luminescence of YAG:Er:Yb transparent ceramics,” J. Rare Earths 24(6), 732–735 (2006). 18. D. K. Sardar, C. C. Russell, J. B. Gruber, and T. H. Allik, “Absorption intensities and emission cross sections of principal intermanifold and inter-Stark transitions of Er(4f ) in polycrystalline ceramic garnet Y3Al5O12,” J. Appl. Phys. 97(12), 123501 (2005). 19. T. Saiki, S. Motokoshi, K. Imasaki, H. Fujita, M. Nakatsuka, and C. Yamanaka, “Nd/Cr:YAG ceramic rod laser pumped using arc-metal-halide-lamp,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46(1), 156–160 (2007). 20. T. Saiki, K. Imasaki, S. Motokoshi, C. Yamanaka, H. Fujita, M. Nakatsuka, and Y. Izawa, “Disk-type Nd/Cr:YAG ceramic lasers pumped by arc-metal-halide-lamp,” Opt. Commun. 268(1), 155–159 (2006). 21. H. Yagi, T. Yanagitani, H. Yoshida, M. Nakatsuka, and K. Ueda, “Highly efficient flash lamp-pumped Cr and Nd co-doped Y3Al5O12 ceramic laser,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 45(1A), 133–135 (2006). 22. Z. J. Kiss and R. C. Duncan, “Cross-pumped Cr/Nd YAG laser crystal,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 5(10), 200–202 (1964). 23. R. Gross, G. Huber, B. Struve, and E. W. Duczinski, “Cr-sensitization of the 3μm Er:YAG laser,” J. Phys. Colloq. 1(7), C7.363–C7.366 (1991). 24. H. Stange, K. Petermann, G. Huber, and E. W. Duczynski, “Continuous wave 1.6 μm laser action in Er doped garnets at room temperature,” Appl. Phys., B Photophys. Laser Chem. 49(3), 269–273 (1989). 25. J. B. Gruber, J. R. Quagliano, M. F. Reid, F. S. Richardson, M. E. Hills, M. D. Seltzer, S. B. Stevens, C. A. Morrison, and T. H. Allik, “Energy levels and correlation crystal-field effects in Er-doped garnets,” Phys. Rev. B Condens. Matter 48(21), 15561–15573 (1993). 26. Y. Yu, Z. Wu, and S. Zhang, “Concentration effects of Er ion in YAG:Er laser crystal,” J. Alloy. Comp. 302(12), 204–208 (2000). 27. H. Xu, L. Zhou, Z. Dai, and Z. Jiang, “Decay properties of Er ions in Er:YAG and Er:YAlO3,” Physica B 324(1-4), 43–48 (2002). 28. http://www.baikowski.com/ 29. B. R. Judd, “Optical absorption intensities of rare-earth ions,” Phys. Rev. 127(3), 750–761 (1962). 30. G. S. Ofelt, “Intensity of crystal spectra of rare-earth ions,” J. Chem. Phys. 37(3), 511–520 (1962). 31. A. A. Kaminskii, Laser Crystals, Their Physics and Properties (Springer, 1981). 32. D. L. Dexter, “A theory of sensitized luminescence in solids,” J. Chem. Phys. 21(5), 836–850 (1953). 33. C. Wei, Doped Nanomaterials and Nanodevices, Photonics and Nanodevices (American Scientific Publishers, 2010).